Question

Give a detailed explanation on different forms of precipitation.

Answer 1

• Forms of Precipitation:
  The form of precipitation in a region depends on the kind of weather or the climate of the region. Common types of precipitation include rain, sleet, freezing rain, hail, and snow.
• Rain:
  The precipitation in the form of water droplets is called rain. The precipitation in which the size of raindrops is <0.5 mm in diameter is known as drizzle and the. raindrops with >0.5 mm in diameter are known as rain. Generally, drizzle takes place from stratus clouds.
• Sleet:
  The precipitation which takes place in the form of a mixture of water droplets and tiny particles of ice (5mm in diameter) is known as sleet. Sometimes raindrops fall through a layer of air below 0°C. As they fall, the raindrops freeze into solid particles of ice. So, the mixture of water droplets and ice particles would fall on the earth surface.
• Freezing Rain:
  At other times raindrops falling through cold air near the ground do not freeze in the air. Instead, the raindrops freeze when they touch a cold surface. This is called freezing rain.
  
• Hail:
  The precipitation which consists of round pellets of ice that are larger than 5 mm in diameter is called hail or hailstones. A hailstone starts as an ice pellet inside a cold region of a cloud.
• Snow:
  Often water vapour in a cloud is converted directly into snow pieces due to lowering of temperature. The precipitation in the form of a powdery mass of ice is known as snowfall. It is common in the polar and high mountainous regions.