We had a setback to spring yesterday - temperatures were in the 30's with an icy wind. Mid-morning, I looked out the kitchen window and saw little round pellets of snow falling. I told HWD later in the day, 'it was sleeting this morning!' But I was wrong. I saw an article saying that what we got was graupel , and went on to explain the difference between hail, graupel and sleet.
Hail forms from intense updrafts in storms that allow super cooled water droplets — liquid water that’s below freezing but not solid — to condense onto snow flake clusters very high up in storms until they become too heavy and fall to the ground.
Sleet is when snow melts and refreezes into a sloppy, crispy mess.
(freezing rain on the left, sleet on the right).
Graupel forms when super cooled water droplets freeze onto snow flakes, a process called “riming.” On Friday morning, a layer of super-cooled water droplets sat at about 4,000 feet above the ground. Snow flakes formed above that layer and fell through it.
For those of you who like charts:
Have you ever seen graupel?
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24 comments
A chart! I thank you from the bottom of my graupel-free nerdy heart.
I have to admit I love the nerd in you and in Smarty.
I'm so glad someone enjoyed this post!
Learn something new everyday
I had no idea!!
Now you know!
Whoa.....never seen or heard of graupel. This is interesting. Especially since after nice days we are under a freeze for Monday morn.
Stay warm! Hopefully your cold snap will be brief.
Climate change and the the effects
Yes, maybe. Since it happens when there's a bit of warmer air in the atmosphere, we might start to see it more often where I live.
@smartasswoman it's risky be careful love ❤️
Never heard the word graupel before and not sure I have ever seen it. Yesterday, I walked through rain, hail and light snow.
You are such a trooper, yikes! I've definitely become a fair weather walker. If it's not nice out, I head to the gym.
@smartasswoman Yesterday, it wasn’t really my intention to do so, just got caught in it on my way home from doing errands. However, I do have the right shoes and clothing to handle most weather when I go on a dedicated fitness walk.
Now I can show off my knowledge of graupel!
I'm not sure who would be impressed, but I hope you find someone!
Interesting sad for setback. Didn't know aboutgrauple.experienced other 3
Things are back on the upswing already - it's in the 50's today.
I have heard of graupel before but am not sure that I have ever seen it. I figure that after living in Wisconsin for over 70 years, I likely have but did not know what it was. Thank you for so clearly explaining what it is and how it forms.
Hugs.
You're not that far away from my climate so I'm guessing you've seen it too. 😊
@smartasswoman I probably have seen it but just thought of it as a form of sleet.
We had some graupel the other day, it's not uncommon here and it's pretty neat to look at. Like those styrofoam pellets almost! I always figured it was due to us being between two large bays.
Yes, a styrofoam like consistency! I'm glad to hear someone else has seen it before.
I see the occasional sleet, but never seen hail or graupel in the area I live. Brrrrr!!
Lucky to miss out on hail, it can be pretty destructive.