Guide to winter precipitation as weather moves in

Published 4:44 pm Monday, January 15, 2024

JACKSON — National Weather Service in Jackson would like to remind residents the difference between four types of precipitation. Snow, rain, sleet and freezing rain can all fall in the winter but are each slightly different.

Rain falls at temperatures above 32 degrees meaning it is unfrozen and never refreezes when it reaches the ground. Sleet is rain droplets that freeze as they fall and forming ice before reaching the surface.

Frozen rain is above 32 degrees when it falls and reaches the surface but then freezes upon contact with the surface.

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Snow falls at or below 32 degrees and never melts from the clouds to the ground.

You can measure snowfall in our area by finding a flat and open area away from buildings or trees. Avoid snow drifts. Take several measurements to ensure accuracy, good surfaces for measurements could be a flat board, a wooden deck, a picnic table or a parked vehicle. Send us photos and reports by email to news@dailyleader.com.