Then the only solution I can think of is that there must be a shallow above-freezing layer sandwiched between sub-freezing layers in that precip zone above 10,000 ft. Precip would starting out as snow, melt in the above-freezing layer then re-freeze as sleet somewhere above 10,000 ft. I don't see how rain cold form in temps close to 0F around 18,000 ft then freeze as sleet.jasons wrote:I'm pretty sure what I'm seeing here is sleet. The droplets are round and frozen solid. I've seen graupel a number of times in North Texas and it still had a slightly white almost flaky appearance to it. They were like a cross between snow grains and sleet. They always reminded me of the half-melted comet in Superman 1 as he got close to the earth (silly analogy, but I'm a visual person). These today are IP and solid through.
The model soundings clearly don't have a good grasp on the vertical temperature profile. Same as last February's freezing rain event when the models said it should all be snow.
