Introduction:

Sleet is a very beautiful weather phenomenon that is something between the state of snowflakes and rain. Sleet signifies a type of precipitation that contains little particles of unfrozen snowflakes. Sleet is a state of water that is very close to both snow and rain. However, it is totally different from hail. You can observe a layer of snowy coating around the open materials during the fall of sleet.

• How the sleet is formed:

During rainfall, the raindrops pour down to the surface of earth from a very high level. During the course of falling, these drops cross various layers. All the layers have their own different temperatures. When the raindrops cross a layer that is very cold (below zero degree), the raindrops take the form of sleets. On the other hand, during their fall from the height, the snowflakes also pass through various layers. When the snowflakes cross the relatively warm layers, they melt and if those melted snowflakes pass through a layer with freezing point very soon, sleets are formed.

•  Difference between sleet and hail:

Sleets must not be confused with hails. Hail is totally different natural phenomenon. Sleets are seen only during the winter months. However, hail can be perceived any time throughout the year. There is no such specific timing of hail. Then again, sleet can sometimes be seen together with rain and snowfall in certain places. On the other hand, hail is very different from all these three forms of precipitation. It falls separately.