It is amazing for a weather bore like me, that until yesterday I had never heard of precipitation called Graupel. Had you? Well the next time (it happened today funnily enough) you are caught in a winter shower, and little polystyrene beads bounce off the road, don’t let anyone tell you it is sleety hail or something. Put them right, and tell them that, actually, it is a Graupel shower. By doing this, you will be well on the way to becoming a self righteous bore just like me.

A Microscopic picture of Graupel encasing a snow crystal

For the record, it Graupels when supercooled droplets of water condense on a snowflake forming a 2-5mm ball of rime (white ice)the snowflake acts as a nucleus of condensation in this process. Graupel you will not be surprised to hear is actually originally a German term for this form of precipitation. Because of the tiny size of Graupel balls, it is unlikely that it could widespread disruption and school closures, except perhaps, Brighton Hill Community College, which shuts down when their is a sleet shower in The Shetlands.

I just know I am going to be annoying every times it Graupels from now on.

“Brrr its cold out there Bob, little beads of snow are coming down”

“Actually that’s Graupel”

“Bob?”

“Yes”

“Do fuck off”