How does snow form during winter storms?

Snow forms when precipitation remains below freezing from the clouds all the way to the ground, preventing snowflakes from melting.

What causes sleet and freezing rain?

Sleet and freezing rain occur when snowflakes melt in a warm air layer aloft and then refreeze as they fall through a colder layer near the surface.

What is the most dangerous type of winter precipitation?

Freezing rain is considered the most devastating, as it creates extremely icy conditions on roads and can bring down power lines.

Home / Weather / Winter's Fury: Snow, Sleet, Ice, and Extreme Cold Explained

Winter's Fury: Snow, Sleet, Ice, and Extreme Cold Explained

24 Jan

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Summary

Snow needs consistent cold from clouds to ground to form.
Sleet and freezing rain occur when warm air layers melt then refreeze precipitation.
Freezing rain is most devastating, turning roads to ice and downing power lines.

Winter's Fury: Snow, Sleet, Ice, and Extreme Cold Explained

Winter storms can unleash a complex mix of hazardous weather, including snow, sleet, freezing rain, and extreme cold. The formation of snow depends on sustained cold air from the clouds to the ground.

In contrast, warmer air layers aloft can cause snowflakes to melt and then refreeze. This process leads to sleet, characterized by bouncy ice pellets, or freezing rain, which forms when rain freezes upon impact.

Graupel, a less common mix, occurs when snow partially melts. Hail, often mistaken for sleet, typically forms in warmer months due to strong updrafts.