ROANOKE, Va. – Thursday’s weather was a little wacky. You could drive for 10 minutes and see sun, dark clouds, snow, rain, hail and something else. That something else is ‘graupel.’
Graupel is sometimes referred to as hominy snow, soft hail or Dippin Dots!
We first told you about its potential Wednesday on social media, and we discussed it on air during our Thursday morning forecasts.
As snow above fell to the ground, it came into contact with super-cooled water.
Super-cooled water is water that’s 32° or below but has yet to crystallize into solid ice.
Once that water droplet comes into contact with the falling snowflakes, it freezes onto it.
Graupel is soft to the touch and almost breaks a part in your hands if you rub it.