Raindrops that freeze before reaching the ground form which precipitation?

Raindrops that freeze before reaching the ground form which precipitation?

• A. Snow
• B. Freezing rain
• C. Hail
• D. Sleet

Answer: (D)

The key idea is where the freezing happens as the precipitation falls. If raindrops freeze while still in the air before they hit the ground, they become small ice pellets called sleet. This occurs when the drops pass through a deep layer of subfreezing air aloft. If freezing happens after the drops reach the ground, you’d get freezing rain; if precipitation forms as ice crystals in clouds and falls as snow, or if strong updrafts in thunderstorms produce layered ice pellets, those are different types. So when the rain freezes before reaching the ground, sleet is the result.

The key idea is where the freezing happens as the precipitation falls. If raindrops freeze while still in the air before they hit the ground, they become small ice pellets called sleet. This occurs when the drops pass through a deep layer of subfreezing air aloft. If freezing happens after the drops reach the ground, you’d get freezing rain; if precipitation forms as ice crystals in clouds and falls as snow, or if strong updrafts in thunderstorms produce layered ice pellets, those are different types. So when the rain freezes before reaching the ground, sleet is the result.