Definitions
- Referring to a type of precipitation that consists of small, hard balls of ice. - Talking about a weather phenomenon that can cause damage to crops, buildings, and vehicles. - Describing a sudden and intense storm that produces hailstones.
- Referring to a type of precipitation that consists of soft, round pellets of ice. - Talking about a weather phenomenon that is less common than hailstones. - Describing a winter weather event that can create hazardous driving conditions.
List of Similarities
- 1Both are types of precipitation.
- 2Both involve frozen water particles.
- 3Both can occur during thunderstorms.
- 4Both can cause hazardous driving conditions.
- 5Both can be associated with severe weather events.
What is the difference?
- 1Appearance: Hailstones are hard and irregularly shaped, while graupel is soft and round.
- 2Formation: Hailstones are formed in strong thunderstorm updrafts, while graupel is formed in colder clouds with weaker updrafts.
- 3Size: Hailstones can range from pea-sized to as large as a softball, while graupel is typically smaller than a pea.
- 4Composition: Hailstones are made of layers of ice and can have air pockets, while graupel is made of soft ice pellets.
- 5Frequency: Hailstones are more common than graupel in many parts of the world.
Remember this!
Hailstones and graupel are both types of precipitation that involve frozen water particles. However, they differ in appearance, formation, size, composition, and frequency. Hailstones are hard, irregularly shaped, and formed in strong thunderstorm updrafts. They can range in size from pea-sized to as large as a softball and are made of layers of ice. On the other hand, graupel is soft, round, and formed in colder clouds with weaker updrafts. It is typically smaller than a pea and made of soft ice pellets. While hailstones are more common than graupel in many parts of the world, graupel can still create hazardous driving conditions and is associated with severe weather events.
