Colin Snow
Snow and hail are both forms of precipitation that occur under specific temperature and atmospheric conditions. Snow is formed when the atmospheric temperature is at or below freezing (0°C or 32°F), and it can still reach the ground if the ground temperature is slightly above freezing. Hail, on the other hand, is solid ice that forms inside strong thunderstorm updrafts. It requires warm, moist air and a powerful updraft to carry raindrops to extremely cold areas of the atmosphere, where they freeze and grow by colliding with liquid water drops. While snow typically falls as symmetrical, six-sided snowflakes or larger clumps, hailstones have distinct layers of clear and cloudy ice due to fluctuating temperatures during their formation. Understanding the temperature conditions that facilitate the formation of snow and hail is essential for predicting and preparing for winter weather events.
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What You'll Learn
- Hail forms in strong thunderstorms with intense updrafts, high liquid-water content, and where a good portion of the cloud layer is below freezing
- Hailstones can fall at an angle or sideways due to strong winds near the surface
- Snow forms when the atmospheric temperature is at or below freezing
- Snow can still reach the ground when the ground temperature is above freezing if the conditions are right
- Snowflakes increase in size when temperatures have warmed above freezing, causing them to stick together
Hail forms in strong thunderstorms with intense updrafts, high liquid-water content, and where a good portion of the cloud layer is below freezing
Hail is formed in strong thunderstorms with intense updrafts, high liquid-water content, and where a significant portion of the cloud layer is below freezing. Hailstones are created when raindrops are carried upwards by these updrafts into extremely cold areas of the atmosphere, where they freeze.
The updrafts must be strong enough to carry the hailstones upwards for a sufficient amount of time to allow them to grow. The hailstones grow by colliding with liquid water drops that freeze onto their surfaces. The rate of growth is influenced by factors such as elevation, freezing zones, and wind shear. The updraft must be strong enough to support the weight of the hailstone as it grows, which can take at least 30 minutes.
The mode of growth for a hailstone can vary during its development, resulting in distinct layers. If the water freezes rapidly, air bubbles become trapped in the ice, making it opaque and white. This is known as rime icing or dry growth. If the water freezes more slowly, the air bubbles can escape, resulting in clear ice, known as glaze or wet growth.
Hailstones can have layers of both clear and cloudy ice if they encounter different temperature and liquid water content conditions during their journey through the thunderstorm. Eventually, the hailstone becomes too heavy for the updraft to support, and it falls towards the Earth due to gravity. Hail can fall at various angles, depending on factors such as size, friction, wind conditions, and the degree of melting.
Hail formation is most common within continental interiors of mid-latitudes, where the freezing level is below 11,000 feet (3,400 meters). Thunderstorms in these regions can promote evaporational cooling, lowering the freezing level and providing a larger volume for hail growth. Therefore, hail is more frequent in these mid-latitude regions compared to the tropics, despite the higher occurrence of thunderstorms in tropical areas.
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Hailstones can fall at an angle or sideways due to strong winds near the surface
Hail is a form of solid precipitation that falls as balls or irregular lumps of ice, known as hailstones. Hailstones are formed when rain droplets are carried upwards by a current of air, known as an updraft, during thunderstorms. The updraft must be strong enough to overcome the force of gravity, which would otherwise cause the hailstone to fall to the ground. When the hailstone becomes too heavy, it falls towards the ground.
Hailstones can fall at an angle or even sideways if the winds near the surface are strong enough. Strong winds can cause wind-driven hail, which can tear up the siding of houses, break windows, and cause severe injury or death to people and animals. The fall speed of hail depends on several factors, including the size of the hailstone, friction between the hailstone and the surrounding air, local wind conditions, and the degree of melting of the hailstone. Smaller hailstones can be blown away from the updraft by horizontal winds, so larger hail tends to fall closer to the updraft.
Hailstones grow by colliding with liquid water drops that freeze onto their surfaces. The water can freeze instantaneously or slowly, resulting in cloudy or clear ice, respectively. Hailstones can have layers of clear and cloudy ice if they encounter different temperature and liquid water content conditions in the thunderstorm. The conditions experienced by hailstones can vary as they pass horizontally across or near an updraft.
Hail is most common in warm conditions during spring and summer, and it can occur during most thunderstorms. In North America, hail is most common in the area where Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming meet, known as "Hail Alley." Hailstorms can also be severe in other parts of the world, including China, Russia, India, and northern Italy.
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Snow forms when the atmospheric temperature is at or below freezing
While snow can form in a thunderstorm, it can also form in any rain-bearing cloud. The type of snow crystal that forms depends on the humidity, temperature, and pressure conditions within the cloud. For example, snowflakes that pass through dry and cold air while falling create powdery snow that does not stick together. On the other hand, snowflakes that fall through slightly warmer air with temperatures above 0°C will melt around the edges, and if the temperature is above 2°C, they will melt entirely and fall as sleet.
Snow typically occurs when the temperature between the ground and the clouds is at or below the freezing mark of 32°F (0°C). However, snow can still occur at temperatures slightly above freezing, resulting in heavy and wet snow that is ideal for snowmen and snowballs but challenging to remove from surfaces.
In contrast to snow, hail typically forms in warmer conditions and requires different temperatures at various altitudes. It begins as a water droplet in a cloud, which is then carried upward by strong winds and thunderstorm updrafts into extremely cold areas of the atmosphere, where it freezes. As the hailstone falls, it may be blown upward again, adding a new layer of water that freezes, and this cycle repeats until the hail becomes too heavy for the updraft to support, causing it to fall to the ground as hail.
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Snow can still reach the ground when the ground temperature is above freezing if the conditions are right
Snow occurs when very small ice crystals in clouds bind together while temperatures are low and moisture is in the air. When there are enough ice crystals, the weight will be heavy enough to fall to the ground.
Snow can occur even when temperatures are above freezing. If temperatures in the air are above 2°C, snowflakes will melt and fall as sleet. Sleet is a form of solid precipitation that occurs throughout winter. It is a mixture of snow and rain that melts slightly when approaching the Earth and refreezes just above the surface.
Snowflakes that pass through damp air where temperatures are slightly higher than 0°C will melt around the edges. When merged with strong winds, snow blizzards and drifts can be formed.
When the surface temperature is near or just above 32°F (0°C), snow can be heavy and wet. While this type of snow is great for making snowmen or snowballs, it is very difficult to remove from surfaces. Dry, powdery snow that is easy to remove but can cause blowing and drifting problems is more likely when the air is drier and colder.
Hail, on the other hand, requires different temperatures at different altitudes. It begins as a water droplet in a cloud, which is carried upward by strong updrafts into extremely cold areas of the atmosphere and freezes. Each time the hailstone is carried up, it adds another layer of ice until it becomes too heavy for the updraft to support, and it falls to the ground.
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Snowflakes increase in size when temperatures have warmed above freezing, causing them to stick together
Snowflakes are single ice crystals or clusters of ice crystals that fall from a cloud. They form when very small ice crystals in clouds bind together while temperatures are low and moisture is in the air. When there are enough ice crystals, the weight will be heavy enough to fall to the ground.
Snowflakes increase in size when temperatures have warmed above freezing because, as snowflakes begin to melt, the light sheen of water on their surface acts like glue. During their descent from the sky, snowflakes can then start sticking together to make larger flakes. This is why snow can sometimes be slushy or wet, and it is a sign that temperatures have warmed above freezing. Each snowflake is made up of an estimated 1019 (10 quintillion) water molecules, which grow at different rates and in different patterns depending on the changing temperature and humidity within the atmosphere.
The shape of a snowflake is determined by the temperature and humidity at which it is formed. Freezing air down to −3 °C (27 °F) promotes planar crystals (thin and flat). In colder air down to −8 °C (18 °F), the crystals form as hollow columns, prisms or needles. In air as cold as −22 °C (−8 °F), shapes become plate-like, often with branched or dendritic features. At temperatures below −22 °C (−8 °F), the crystals become plate-like or columnar, depending on the degree of saturation.
Snowflakes can form in threefold symmetry — as triangular snowflakes — at a temperature of around −2 °C (28 °F). Snowflakes that pass through dry and cold air while falling produce powdery snow that does not bind or stick together. Snowflakes that fall through damp air where temperatures are slightly higher than 0°C will melt around the edges. If temperatures in the air are above 2°C, snowflakes will melt and fall as sleet.
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Frequently asked questions
Hail forms in strong thunderstorm clouds with intense updrafts that carry rain and hail to higher altitudes to refreeze. This occurs when the temperature is below freezing (0°C or 32°F). However, it can also hail when surface temperatures are warm, as long as temperatures towards the top of the thunderstorm are cold enough for freezing.
Snow forms when the atmospheric temperature is at or below freezing (0°C or 32°F). Snow can still fall when the ground temperature is above freezing, but it will begin to melt as it reaches this higher temperature layer. As a general rule, snow will not form if the ground temperature is at least 5°C (41°F).
Sleet occurs when snow melts and becomes "freezing rain". This happens when there is a warm layer of air between a freezing layer and a sub-freezing temperature on the surface.
