Final answer:
The correct answer is b. little temperature contrast between fronts. The formation of hail requires strong updrafts and downdrafts, great vertical development of the cloud, and great amounts of cloud water droplets and water vapor. Little temperature contrast between fronts does not favor hail formation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer is b. little temperature contrast between fronts. All the other options listed (a. great vertical development of the cloud, c. great amounts of cloud water droplets and water vapor, d. strong updrafts and downdrafts found within the cloud) will enhance the formation of hail. The formation of hail requires strong updrafts that carry raindrops upwards within the cloud, allowing them to freeze as they reach the higher, colder regions of the cloud.
Hailstones grow larger as they are lifted up and down multiple times by these updrafts and downdrafts, accumulating layers of ice. The vertical development of the cloud is important because it provides the necessary conditions for the large hailstones to form and be sustained within the cloud.
On the other hand, little temperature contrast between fronts does not favor the formation of hail. Temperature differences help create instability within the cloud, which promotes the growth of hailstones. When there is little temperature contrast, the cloud is less likely to develop the strong updrafts and downdrafts necessary for hail formation.
Learn more about Hail formation