Different Forms of “Snow”

11/9/2021 (Permalink)

Snow can be seen as flurries or snow showers. Flurries are light falling snow for a fleeting period and there is unusually no accumulation. Snow showers have snow falling for brief periods of time and with varying intensity of snowfall, some accumulation is possible.

Sleet starts out as snow then partially melts when going through warm air as the flakes fall towards the ground. Before hitting the ground, they then go through a layer of freezing air and eventually land as sleet. Sleet is nothing more than frozen rain drops!

Freezing rain also starts out as snow. The snowflakes completely melt as they fall through warm air. Then the rain refreezes upon impact with anything below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, creating a glaze of ice on trees, power lines, etc.