snow pellets

snow pellets

[′snō ‚pel·əts]

(meteorology)

Precipitation consisting of white, opaque, approximately round (sometimes conical) ice particles which have a snowlike structure and are about 2 to 5 millimeters in diameter; snow pellets are crisp and easily crushed, differing in this respect from snow grains, and they rebound when they fall on a hard surface and often break up. Also known as graupel; soft hail; tapioca snow.

snow pellets

Snow gauge.

The precipitation of white and opaque grains of ice. These grains are spherical or sometimes conical; their diameter is about 0.1 to 0.2 in (2–5 mm).