<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2JbDrd_0kwN6P4600" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2JbDrd_0kwN6P4600" width="1600" height="900" ><figcaption>Graupel piled up on some grass. Courtesy of Science News </figcaption></figure> The Bay Area is preparing for a cold snap in the coming week, but there's more to this weather system than scattered showers and chilly winds. Incoming climate conditions may set the stage for a few different types of precipitation rarely seen in the Bay Area — not just rain, hail, or <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/weather-forecast/article/storms-wind-snow-lightning-17796390.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> much-anticipated </a> snow, but something called "graupel." <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate><a href="https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/hail/types/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> According to </a> the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, most frozen precipitation is formed inside of thick and dense stratus clouds. When temperatures plunge, the vapor from clouds freezes directly from its gaseous form and becomes solid, making snow. Snow can fall as-is at high altitudes where temperatures are more uniform, but usually melts before it hits the ground if it falls closer to sea level due to slightly warmer air trapped by the ocean. This can create sleet, an often <a href="https://www.tmj4.com/weather/why-freezing-rain-and-sleet-can-be-dangerous-se-wisconsin-weather-coverage" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> dangerous </a> step up from cold rain — a slurry of ice and very cold water that can collect on roads and walkways to form undetectable slick spots sometimes called "black ice." But when temperatures are chilly all the way to the ground, or wind is creating freezing conditions below the cloud line, hail and graupel may appear. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> Graupel is produced by a process called "riming", where supercooled water droplets freeze onto a snow crystal. Most remain less than 0.2 inches and are quite fragile to the touch, due to the relatively poor structural integrity of snow. It is sometimes referred to as soft hail. Hail, on the other hand, is a solid ball of ice formed around a nucleus like graupel or sleet. It can grow to various shapes and sizes — up to a grapefruit — and depending on how hard it's hailing, can cause <a href="https://www.dentwizard.com/hail-damage-repair/hit-with-hail-now-what.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> significant </a> damage. SF can expect high winds, rain and hail, according to SF Chronicle meteorologist Gerry Díaz. </div></body>

Mountain View, CA

The Bay Area is preparing for a cold snap in the coming week, but there's more to this weather system than scattered showers and chilly winds.
                Incoming climate conditions may set the stage for a few different types of precipitation rarely seen in the Bay Area — not just rain, hail, or much-anticipated snow, but something called \"graupel.\"
                According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, most frozen precipitation is...

What is 'graupel' and why is it pelting my window?

NewsBreak

The Bay Area is preparing for a cold snap in the coming week, but there's more to this weather system than scattered showers and chilly winds.
                Incoming climate conditions may set the stage for a few different types of precipitation rarely seen in the Bay Area — not just rain, hail, or much-anticipated snow, but something called "graupel."
                According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, most frozen precipitation is...