Precipitation type depends on all the air layers crossed, not one thermometer reading. This model begins with snow aloft and compares idealised profiles. Real clouds can also produce liquid rain without first forming snow, so these are selected pathways rather than every possible event.
Weather and climate · Discover & try
Why does rain sometimes arrive as snow or sleet?
Reading level 5 of 5 · AdvancedChange
Word help
sleet
Ice pellets that freeze before reaching the ground.
freezing rain
Liquid rain that freezes when it reaches a freezing surface.
temperature profile
How temperature changes with height through the air.
Watch · Try · Explain
See how it works
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Selected winter pathways through simplified air-temperature profiles; not a forecast.
What to look for
- Whether falling snow enters warm air
- The depth of the cold layer below
- Whether drops freeze before or after landing
Explain what you noticed
Which description matches sleet in this model?
Keep this idea: Precipitation depends on the air layers crossed.
Follow the sources
- NOAA National Weather Service — Winter Weather Precipitation
- NOAA National Weather Service — Will it rain, sleet or snow?
Source material checked 2026-10-28. Explanations and activities by Nepedia. Agency source links do not imply endorsement.
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