Question

Which form of precipitation would most likely be predicted based on the following information?

Temperature in the clouds = −2 °C (28 °F)
Temperature of the air below the clouds = 2 °C (36 °F)
Season = fall
Rain because, it is the fall season and the temperatures might vary, which means good conditions for rain
Rain because, the temperatures in the cloud and beneath the cloud are below freezing
Sleet because, it is the fall season but it should be the winter season

Answer 1

Answer: Sleet

Based on the information provided, it is most likely sleet. The temperature in the clouds is below freezing (-2 °C), but the temperature of the air below the clouds is above freezing (2 °C). When this type of temperature difference occurs, it can lead to the formation of sleet. Sleet is precipitation in the form of ice pellets that are generated when raindrops freeze in the sub-freezing air aloft and then fall through the above-freezing air near the surface.