Weather
Great Lakes Winter Weather 2026/27: Snow Has an Identity Crisis
Chicago, IL – As if Great Lakes 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 t
By Claire Benton · 2026-11-14T12:14:28.010Z
Chicago, IL – As if Great Lakes 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 Great Lakes 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 Great Lakes Residents Should Care From Chicago, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Detroit and Grand Rapids, Michigan, Cleveland, Ohio, South Bend, Indiana, and Buffalo, New York, graupel is another reminder that winter precipitation isn't always straightforward.
While graupel is generally softer than hail, it can accumulate on roads, sidewalks and driveways, creating slippery conditions.
Sudden bursts of graupel can also accompany snow showers, potentially reducing visibility and making driving more challenging.
The good news? Graupel doesn't automatically mean severe weather is approaching.
But it does mean drivers and pedestrians should pay attention when conditions change.
Across the Great Lakes, where lake effect snow and rapidly changing winter conditions are familiar challenges, recognizing different types of precipitation 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 Great Lakes region.