# What do you call a single drop of sleet?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-single-drop-of-sleet/847855>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 13, 2020, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-single-drop-of-sleet/847855 "2020-02-13T01:45:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 3

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-single-drop-of-sleet/847855/41 "2020-02-17T23:32:18Z")

</div>

My husband calls it hail even if it’s wet, and really is in the “sleet” bucket. (Like, it often rains during hailstorms, too.)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-single-drop-of-sleet/847855/42 "2020-02-18T01:03:36Z")

</div>

> [@BigT](#):
>
> So, for those for whom sleet is wet, what do you call it when you have those tiny dry pellets that are smaller than hail? As stated, no larger than a dipping dot? Do you just call all of it hail? If so, do you have a way to distinguish the kind of hail that is so big it causes a lot of damage?

Ice pellets is what we call it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-single-drop-of-sleet/847855/43 "2020-02-18T03:02:11Z")

</div>

Central Indiana native use of terms sleet, hail, etc. :

Sleet: frozen raindrops in cold weather. They may be by themselves or mixed with rain, but the ice pellets are the sleet.

Hail: Occurs during thunderstorms, often in mid-summer. The ice pieces are layered and sometimes much larger than sleet pellets.

Wintry mix: rain mixed with snow.

Freezing rain: liquid rain that freezes on impact. This can be quite beautiful and even more damaging. The best bet for getting a day out of school!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-single-drop-of-sleet/847855/44 "2020-02-18T14:37:09Z")

</div>

Regarding the PNW and icy weather terminology, I’m reminded of a variation on “freezing rain”. Often times there’d be a period of really cold weather and a Pacific system moves in. So there’s rain high up and very cold stuff near the ground. So a lot of stuff is covered with beautiful but nasty ice. As the front continues thru, it warms up and stuff starts to melt.

This was called a “silver thaw”.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-single-drop-of-sleet/847855/45 "2020-02-18T14:55:31Z")

</div>

A slit.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-single-drop-of-sleet/847855.md?page=2)