Weather
Rockies Winter Weather 2026/27: Snow Has an Identity Crisis
Denver, CO – As if Rocky Mountain winter weather wasn't indecisive enough, apparently even snow is having an identity crisis. Not quite snow, not exactly hail and definitely not sleet, there's another
By Sophie Caldwell · 2026-11-14T12:16:59.314Z
Denver, CO – As if Rocky Mountain winter weather wasn't indecisive enough, apparently even snow is having an identity crisis. Not quite snow, not exactly hail and definitely not sleet, there's another type of frozen precipitation with a name that sounds completely made up: graupel.
And yes, it's a real thing.
According to the National Weather Service NWS , graupel forms when supercooled water droplets freeze onto falling snowflakes, creating small, soft, rounded pellets that can resemble miniature snowballs.
What the Hell Is Graupel? Think of graupel as snow that couldn't decide what it wanted to be when it grew up.
Unlike ordinary snowflakes, which have delicate crystalline structures, graupel develops a lumpy, rounded appearance as frozen droplets accumulate on its surface.
The result? Tiny white pellets that look suspiciously like Styrofoam and often crumble when squeezed.
And just to make Rocky Mountain winters more interesting, graupel isn't hail or sleet, either.
Hail typically develops inside strong thunderstorms, while sleet forms when melted precipitation refreezes into hard ice pellets before reaching the ground.
Graupel, meanwhile, starts as snow and collects supercooled water droplets along the way.
Why Rocky Mountain Residents Should Care From Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Cheyenne and Jackson, Wyoming, Bozeman and Missoula, Montana, Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Salt Lake City, Utah, graupel is another reminder that mountain precipitation isn't always straightforward.
While graupel is generally softer than hail, it can accumulate on roads, sidewalks and mountain highways, creating slippery conditions.
Sudden bursts of graupel can also accompany snow showers, potentially reducing visibility and making driving more challenging.
There's another concern in the mountains: Graupel can form weak layers within the snowpack, potentially contributing to avalanche hazards when buried beneath additional snowfall.
The good news? Graupel doesn't automatically mean severe weather is approaching.
But it does mean drivers, hikers, skiers and snowboarders should pay attention when conditions change.
Across the Rockies, where elevation, rapidly changing temperatures and mountain storms can produce several types of precipitation, recognizing what's falling from the sky can be especially useful.
So, the next time winter weather starts dropping strange little snowballs from the sky, don't panic.
It's probably not snow having a complete meltdown.
It's just graupel — because apparently regular snow wasn't complicated enough.
Editor's note: This article explains a winter weather phenomenon and does not indicate an active graupel forecast or weather warning for the Rocky Mountain region.