What is Graupel?

Graupel is a type of snow that forms when supercooled water droplets freeze onto falling snowflakes, creating small, soft balls of ice. It is also known as "soft hail" or "wet snow pellets". Graupel forms when the air is cold enough that the water vapor in the atmosphere freezes into ice crystals, but not cold enough to produce solid snowflakes. Instead, the ice crystals form a layer of frozen droplets that stick to falling snowflakes, creating small balls of ice.

Graupel is different from hail, which forms when updrafts in thunderstorms carry water droplets up into the freezing level of the atmosphere, where they freeze into small balls of ice. Graupel is also different from sleet, which forms when snowflakes melt and then freeze again before reaching the ground.

Graupel can be found in a variety of locations, including mountainous regions, cold climates, and even at high elevations in tropical regions. It is often associated with fair weather, but it can also occur during winter storms. Graupel can be difficult to distinguish from hail, but it is typically softer and more fragile than hail.