What Is Freezing Rain Called: Unveiling Its Icy Moniker

Have you ever wondered what frozen rain is called? Well, frozen rain is known as sleet. Sleet is formed when raindrops encounter a thicker layer of freezing air near the surface, causing them to freeze before they can reach the ground. Now, let’s delve into why freezing rain and sleet can be dangerous.

Hail, often referred to as frozen rain, is a type of frozen precipitation that forms when supercooled water droplets in a cloud freeze onto a hailstone’s surface. These hailstones start as small embryos, such as graupel (soft, milky pellets of ice) or sleet (frozen raindrops), and then gradually accumulate layers of ice, growing in size as they are carried up and down within the cloud by updrafts and downdrafts. Under certain conditions, hailstones can become quite large, reaching diameters of several inches. This process of growth distinguishes hail from other forms of frozen precipitation, making it a unique meteorological phenomenon.

Freezing rain and drizzle are meteorological phenomena that occur when precipitation starts as snowflakes high in the atmosphere but encounters a layer of warm air as it descends toward the ground. This warm air causes the snowflakes to melt, transforming them into raindrops. However, trouble arises when these raindrops reach the colder air near the surface, causing them to freeze upon contact with the frozen ground or other cold surfaces. This phenomenon results in the formation of a glaze of ice, creating hazardous conditions for travel and potentially causing damage to infrastructure.

Freezing drizzle, a related but distinct phenomenon, consists of much smaller droplets compared to freezing rain. Unlike freezing rain, freezing drizzle may not necessarily involve a warm layer of air above the ground. Instead, it can occur in colder conditions, where tiny liquid droplets freeze into ice as they make contact with sub-freezing surfaces, such as roads, sidewalks, and vehicles.

In summary, freezing rain and drizzle both involve the transformation of snowflakes into raindrops due to a temperature difference between higher altitudes and the surface, with freezing rain typically involving a warm air layer and freezing drizzle consisting of smaller droplets that can occur in colder conditions. These weather conditions pose significant risks during winter months, making them important topics for meteorological understanding and public safety. [Note: The date “26th Dec 2021” from the original passage appears to be unrelated to the topic and has been omitted in this rewrite.]