Preciptation

[britta43]

So, to all my brilliant friends.

What is the difference between hail and snow? And how do I tell the difference.

Because its hailing. Or snowing. Or something. And it confuses me.

Thank you.

Emily

Comments

[laurapatt]

It doesn't hail during cold weather. If it's chunks of ice falling on you, that's sleet. Sleet is just when the precipitation freezes harder. Snow only occurs in clouds that are hovering right around freezing.

[kel_e_o]

The easiest way to tell (for me) is how fast it's falling. Snow is ice crystals, so the air gets all up in the flakes and it falls more slowly. Sleet is icey rain. It's like little chunks of ice and rain together and it falls a little faster.

Hail mostly comes with big storms (like tornadoes or hurricanes). And it's completely frozen chunks of ice.

[kgrisso]

Snow is pleasant and romantic. Sleet is icy rain that makes everything sludgy. Hail makes dents in your car and hurts when it hits you.

[siennasparrow]

Hehe, one hurts like nobody's business and the other is nice and romantic