Cryptic Block Of Ice Falls From Sky In Montgomery County: Report

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — A large piece of ice of unknown origin fell from the sky and landed in Montgomery County in the middle of the day Thursday, according to eyewitnesses and media reports.

The incident occurred just after noon in the backyard of a resident in Elkins Park.

"Today at 12:15pm a gigantic piece of ICE fell to the earth on an 82 degree sunny day, smashed my rain gutter and made a 6 inch deep impact into the ground beside the house," resident Jesse Gonzalez shared in a Facebook post. "Before it shattered it was the size of a human head! Until now I never considered it possible."

Gonzalez said that if it had gone two more inches to the side, it would have smashed through the roof.

His dogs, just a few feet away, were likely treated to a frightening sight.

He later told 6ABC that there was one large chunk and that smaller pieces of the ice were scattered around the yard.

While uncommon, the phenomenon is not unheard of. Known as megacryometeors, they may form under conditions similar to hailstones, according to leading researchers in the field from the University of Madrid. Their composition usually matches rainwater from the area they fell, dispelling a more extraterrestrial origin. Tests were not run on the Montco space rock, however, but the truth is out there.