What is sleet

Powered by. When meteorologists in the United States use this term, they are referring to tiny ice pellets the size of a pea, at most formed when falling snow melts then quickly refreezes. In the United Kingdom, sleet usually refers to a wintry mix. These pellets typically bounce as they hit the ground. Sleet can be dangerous, quickly coating the surface of roads and making driving hazardous.

In general, the higher you go in the troposphere, the colder the air becomes. The snow starts to fall, and if the air column is freezing cold all the way down from the clouds to the ground, the precipitation stays frozen. Style: MLA. More Definitions for sleet. English Language Learners Definition of sleet Entry 1 of 2.

Kids Definition of sleet Entry 1 of 2. Kids Definition of sleet Entry 2 of 2. Get Word of the Day daily email! Test Your Vocabulary. Test your vocabulary with our question quiz! Love words? Need even more definitions? Homophones, Homographs, and Homonyms The same, but different. Merriam-Webster's Words of the Week - Nov. Ask the Editors 'Everyday' vs.

What Is 'Semantic Bleaching'? With either type, the ice can create slick spots on roadways, causing motorists to lose control of their automobiles with little to no warning. Bridges, overpasses and elevated roadways are especially suseptible to icing as they are surrounded on all sides by the cold air and freeze more quickly. In addition, ice caused by freezing rain can rapidly add weight to tree branches and power lines, causing them to snap or break. In addition to these fallen branches causing damage to whatever they land on, power outages may also occur.

Ice accumulation from freezing rain does not coat the surface of objects evenly. Gravity will usually cause the rain water to run to the underside of an object before it freezes.

Wind can create the same effect. In either case, the result would be a thicker coating of ice on one side of the object compared to the opposite side. You can accurately estimate the thickness of the ice with the method below. You will need a ruler and possibly a piece of paper and pencil.

Locate an ice-covered object that is out in the open. A small tree branch in the middle of the yard or clothesline is usually easiest to handle. Move to a position where you can see both the thickest and thinnest portions of ice coating the object from one side to the other.

Using the ruler, measure the thickest part of the ice, from the edge of the object to the edge of the ice. Record that value on your paper. Similarly, measure the thinest part of the ice, from the edge of the object to the edge of the ice.

Add the two values together and then divide by two. The resulting value is your ice accumulation. Sleet is measured much the same way snow depth is measured. You will need a ruler, and possibly a piece of paper and a pen.

Locate a surface that is solid, level and in the open.