As I understand it, sleet is a cold-weather precipitation, generally made up of condensation that freezes in the winter air. Hail is a warm-weather precipitation, generally made up of larger bits of ice that have built up, likes pearls in oysters, by being repeatedly drawn up into very high, very cold air by updrafts in thunderstorms. The stronger the updrafts, the more times the drops go through the freezing cycle, meaning bigger hail.
If you've ever had the chance to look closely at big hailstones, you'll see that they're kinda like jawbreakers. Except they don't taste very sweet, and they mess up your car real good.
This sidewalks, streets, and parking lots of Chicago have been one big skating rink since last night. Whatever this weather is, it needs to stop it right now.
I walked home last night because I was warmly dressed and it was only 5 and I thought it wouldn't be that bad. Umm, yeah, near death anytime I walked anywhere with air below the sidewalk (I'm looking at you chicago river and lower columbus drive). So slippy. Not so much walking home today.
MAN, the one time my almost-major in Atmospheric Science would have paid off on this site, and I miss it. Squid has it right. Freezing rain starts warm and ends cold, Sleet starts cold and ends warm, and hail happens in thunderstorms.
Interesting note for people trying to drive around MA and NH today- the reason why they're not plowing isn't becase they're lazy, it's intentional. If freezing rain falls on snow, it just forms a crust over the snow, which can still be plowed. If freezing rain falls on bare asphalt (or concrete), it forms glass ice that can't be fixed until it melts. No one can drive on it safely.
As someone who put his life in peril a couple times today while shuffling around a city in Central MA, I'd rather them just suck it up and drop a few hundred tons of rock salt on the entire city to cut through the ice.
Another fun phenomenon is "thunder snow", which is basically a thunder and lightning snowstorm. When a t-storm cell forms within a snow storm, within the storm you can get microbursts of extremely heavy snowfall- 2-4" an hour, if not more. Lightning looks awesome when this happens too.
Apparently, according to Henry Margusity of accuweather (who has yet to accurately predict any snowfall we've had this year, but whatever), we are in a weather pattern (from the jet stream etc) where the northeast (especially New England) is basically getting continuously walloped, with a heavy snow storm, then a wet snow/freezing rain storm, then heavy snow, then wet snow/freezing rain, etc... and he doesn't see an end to this weather pattern for awhile. Example? Another heavy snow storm is expected for Friday. Amazingly, even with the slight warm up we had today and the rain, there's very little melting going on, so the snow is just piling up all over the place. Honestly, though, it takes more than warm temperatures and rain to really make a dent in snow pack- it takes fog. Heavy fog eats snow for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Rain and warm weather just densifies it.
I could go on. Really. I love geeking out over weather,
I am sure that we could have a lively debate on the sleet vs. hail, but I firmly believe that freezing rain is the most evil of the forms of frozen preciptation.
Now living in Portland, Oregon, I have discovered that the weather forecasters here have approximately 412+ ways to say "it will rain tomorrow." They are usually right.
Google Chrome has weird crashing and deletions - it seems quite unstable. But currently preferable to Firefox, which has taken to only allowing extremely slooooooow typing in gmail and Google.
I had no idea there was a non-Fake AP Stylebook twitter feed.
ReplyDeleteThere is a meteorological difference, but both make people drive like idiots.
ReplyDeleteLast night it was both raining and snowing at the same time. I would guess that is a wintry mix.
ReplyDelete"Sounds like the worst combination plate ever."
ReplyDeleteAs I understand it, sleet is a cold-weather precipitation, generally made up of condensation that freezes in the winter air. Hail is a warm-weather precipitation, generally made up of larger bits of ice that have built up, likes pearls in oysters, by being repeatedly drawn up into very high, very cold air by updrafts in thunderstorms. The stronger the updrafts, the more times the drops go through the freezing cycle, meaning bigger hail.
ReplyDeleteIf you've ever had the chance to look closely at big hailstones, you'll see that they're kinda like jawbreakers. Except they don't taste very sweet, and they mess up your car real good.
Yes, that's exactly what wintry mix is. This morning it was like slush falling from the sky.
ReplyDeleteThis sidewalks, streets, and parking lots of Chicago have been one big skating rink since last night. Whatever this weather is, it needs to stop it right now.
ReplyDeleteI think that's a rap lyric. Therefore, AP Stylebook is a rapper. Not the worst rap name I've ever heard (Diddy Dirty Money).
ReplyDeleteI walked home last night because I was warmly dressed and it was only 5 and I thought it wouldn't be that bad. Umm, yeah, near death anytime I walked anywhere with air below the sidewalk (I'm looking at you chicago river and lower columbus drive). So slippy. Not so much walking home today.
ReplyDeletesleet vs. hail? I am going to guess this is a case where size matters.
ReplyDeleteMAN, the one time my almost-major in Atmospheric Science would have paid off on this site, and I miss it. Squid has it right. Freezing rain starts warm and ends cold, Sleet starts cold and ends warm, and hail happens in thunderstorms.
ReplyDeleteInteresting note for people trying to drive around MA and NH today- the reason why they're not plowing isn't becase they're lazy, it's intentional. If freezing rain falls on snow, it just forms a crust over the snow, which can still be plowed. If freezing rain falls on bare asphalt (or concrete), it forms glass ice that can't be fixed until it melts. No one can drive on it safely.
As someone who put his life in peril a couple times today while shuffling around a city in Central MA, I'd rather them just suck it up and drop a few hundred tons of rock salt on the entire city to cut through the ice.
ReplyDeleteAnother fun phenomenon is "thunder snow", which is basically a thunder and lightning snowstorm. When a t-storm cell forms within a snow storm, within the storm you can get microbursts of extremely heavy snowfall- 2-4" an hour, if not more. Lightning looks awesome when this happens too.
ReplyDeleteApparently, according to Henry Margusity of accuweather (who has yet to accurately predict any snowfall we've had this year, but whatever), we are in a weather pattern (from the jet stream etc) where the northeast (especially New England) is basically getting continuously walloped, with a heavy snow storm, then a wet snow/freezing rain storm, then heavy snow, then wet snow/freezing rain, etc... and he doesn't see an end to this weather pattern for awhile. Example? Another heavy snow storm is expected for Friday. Amazingly, even with the slight warm up we had today and the rain, there's very little melting going on, so the snow is just piling up all over the place. Honestly, though, it takes more than warm temperatures and rain to really make a dent in snow pack- it takes fog. Heavy fog eats snow for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Rain and warm weather just densifies it.
I could go on. Really. I love geeking out over weather,
please do. You know we like to geek out over just about anything here.
ReplyDeleteI am sure that we could have a lively debate on the sleet vs. hail, but I firmly believe that freezing rain is the most evil of the forms of frozen preciptation.
ReplyDeleteDammit, Google Chrome! Stop deleting my info!
ReplyDeleteAnd now I think I like you geeking out about the weather. Awesome summary.
ReplyDeleteNow living in Portland, Oregon, I have discovered that the weather forecasters here have approximately 412+ ways to say "it will rain tomorrow." They are usually right.
ReplyDeleteGoogle Chrome has weird crashing and deletions - it seems quite unstable. But currently preferable to Firefox, which has taken to only allowing extremely slooooooow typing in gmail and Google.
ReplyDeleteGreat! Now, someone explain graupel.
ReplyDeleteThat caused me pain. I wanted to like the GC comment (as it was funny) but don't like the GC comment (as it sadly is likely true).
ReplyDeleteI got tired of Firefox updating every 2-3 minutes, so....