Darlington County, SC – Residents in northern Darlington County reported icy precipitation falling around 3 p.m. Sunday, prompting questions about whether the pellets were hail or sleet.
According to the US National Weather Service Wilmington NC, the frozen precipitation was confirmed to be graupel, not hail or sleet. Surface temperatures were in the mid-40s at the time, ruling out traditional sleet, which requires below-freezing air near the ground. Meteorologists also ruled out hail because no strong thunderstorm updrafts were present in the area.
The National Weather Service explained that the freezing line Sunday afternoon was about 1,600 feet above ground level. Snowflakes falling from higher elevations likely passed through supercooled water droplets, which froze onto the snowflakes and formed small, soft ice pellets known as graupel.
Unlike hail, which forms in strong thunderstorms and often appears as hard, layered balls of ice, graupel is softer and forms when snowflakes collect frozen droplets on their surface. It also differs from sleet, which forms when melted snow refreezes before hitting the ground.
The layer of above-freezing air near the surface was not deep enough to completely melt the ice before it reached the ground, allowing the pellets to fall intact.
While graupel is typically harmless and melts quickly, it can briefly reduce visibility or create slick spots if precipitation intensifies.
Did you see the graupel fall Sunday afternoon? What did it look like in your neighborhood?
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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