Florida freeze: Snow, sleet and freezing rain: What's the difference?

The rare snow storm that has swept across the Florida Panhandle has brought winter weather to the Sunshine State from snow to sleet and freezing rain.

But what causes this winter weather, and what's the difference between them?

Freezing rain:

Freezing rain occurs when snowflakes fall into a warmer layer of air, melting completely into liquid water. 

As these droplets continue to fall through a shallow layer of freezing air near the surface, they remain in liquid form but become "supercooled." 

Upon contacting surfaces at or below 32°F, the droplets instantly freeze, forming a layer of ice on the ground, trees, power lines and other objects. 

Even small amounts of freezing rain can make travel hazardous, while heavier accumulations can cause severe damage to trees and power lines. 

When freezing rain accumulates significantly over several hours or more, it is referred to as an ice storm.

Sleet:

Sleet forms when snowflakes partially melt as they pass through a thin layer of warm air. 

These semi-melted drops then refreeze while falling through a deeper layer of freezing air closer to the surface, eventually reaching the ground as small, frozen raindrops that bounce on impact. 

Depending on the amount and duration of sleet, it can accumulate on the ground similarly to snow.

Sleet and hail are commonly confused. However, sleet happens in winter storms and hail comes from thunderstorms.

Snow:

During winter, most precipitation begins as snow because the upper layers of storm clouds are typically cold enough to form snowflakes. 

These snowflakes are clusters of ice crystals that stick together as they descend. 

Snow reaches the ground intact when the temperature stays at or below 32°F from the base of the clouds to the surface.

The Source: The information in this article comes from the FOX 35 Storm Team.

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