Question

It is winter where Jenna lives. It’s been snowing all day, but now the snow has changed to sleet and then to freezing rain. What is happening to cause these changes? In your answer, explain how snow, sleet, and freezing rain form.

Answer 1

Both sleet and freezing rain occur generally the same. They occur when liquid raindrops that form in a layer of warm air fall into a layer of freezing air that stretches to ground level. The difference between these two forms of precipitation depends on how thick the layer of freezing air is.

Answer 2

The cause behind these changes is the that the temperature is changing while it is raining, so when it drops to 32 degrees F or below, it is snow. At 32 degrees F, it is sleet, and at higher than 32 degrees, it is going to be freezing rain.