Graupel was formerly referred to by meteorologists as "soft hail." Graupel is distinguishable from true hail in both the shape and strength of the pellet and, in some cases, the circumstances in which it falls.

Apr 9, 2025 · Graupel is a wintry precipitation that is a mix of snow crystals and ice, resembling tiny, soft hail pellets. Graupel forms when snowflakes fall through supercooled liquid droplets and instantly …

Oct 16, 2024 · Graupel is often mistaken for sleet or small hail, because the appearance is quite similar. These tiny ice pellets originate from snowflakes. As the flakes fall, supercooled water droplets cling...

Dec 8, 2018 · Graupel forms when a water droplet gets lifted and supercooled, freezing onto existing snowflake, coating them with ice. It can be the same size as sleet but is typically white and opaque.

Graupel was first seen in an 1889 weather report and has been whirling around in the meteorology field ever since to describe "pellets of snow" or "soft hail" (the latter phrase is an actual synonym of graupel).

Also known as “snow pellets,” graupel is a hybrid of precipitation types. Basically, snowflakes falling from the sky pick up an extra layer of moisture on their way down as supercooled droplets adhere to the …

Mar 3, 2026 · What is the difference between hail and graupel? Hail is frozen precipitation that can occur during thunderstorms and tornadoes, while graupel is soft, small pellets that disintegrate when handled.

Apr 21, 2026 · When riming is especially intense, the snowflake can become completely encrusted, forming graupel that can grow to around 0.2 inches in diameter, large enough to notice as it falls.

Jan 7, 2026 · Graupel is a form of precipitation that falls as soft, opaque ice pellets, often misidentified within a wintery mix. This soft, frozen droplet is sometimes referred to as “soft hail” or “snow pellets.”

Nov 4, 2021 · Rather, the small, soft pellets are what is known as graupel, when supercooled water droplets high in the atmosphere freeze into a snow crystal. When conditions are right, it can grow to...