Rain and Snow Precipitation in Detail

Many people have asked why are we getting sleet or even freezing rain when it is all the way down in the teens. This answer is rather simple when I show you the images and what causes this common event. The first precipitation types that I will explain is the simple rain and snow as you can imagine these precipitation has to do with the temperature but not only the temperature at the surface but the temperature at all layers of the atmosphere. Well let me back up and give everyone here a quick image that explains this. Many people look at a weather map like the one below and just imagine that the image says everything but think of this the images below is extremely thin as in as far as the computer screen you are looking at and the LED lights that show the image but you just standing outside are about 6 feet in the same direction. Obviously the image is only showing a 2D depiction of the real weather that is happening but the atmosphere is 3D.

Now let me show you what the atmosphere really looks like

This as you can see is a more realistic definition of the atmospheric layers. Now I will explain more of what the entire atmospheric temperature profile has to be.

Snow

Lets start with snow. Basically the entire atmosphere must be below freezing from the point that the precipitation forms to the ground. This is very basic.

Rain

This precipitation is even easier to understand. The temperature at the ground level must be over freezing and this layer has to be significantly deep and not just 100 or so feet.

If you have any questions or comments I would love to hear them. Ideas as well for more posts