Sleet is a form of precipitation that falls in the form of frozen ice pellets. It occurs when falling snow melts and then refreezes before it hits the ground. Sleet is distinct from freezing rain and snow. Unlike freezing rain, where snowflakes completely melt and then refreeze upon contact with a surface, sleet occurs when snowflakes only partially melt when they fall through a shallow layer of warm air and then refreeze as they next fall through a deep layer of freezing air above the surface, eventually reaching the ground as frozen raindrops that bounce on impact.
Sleet is commonly known as a mixture of rain and partially melted snow, and it is soft and translucent, containing some traces of ice crystals from partially fused snowflakes, also called slush. It usually occurs briefly as a transition phase from rain to snow or vice-versa, hitting the surface before fully transforming. Its METAR code is RASN or SNRA.
In summary, sleet is a unique form of precipitation that is neither rain nor snow, and it is important to understand its characteristics and formation for weather awareness and safety.
