snow pellets
–noun | precipitation, usually of brief duration, consisting of crisp, white, opaque ice particles, round or conical in shape and about two to five millimeters in diameter. |
Origin: 1940–45
snow pellet n. A small white ice particle that falls as precipitation and breaks apart easily when it lands on a surface. Often used in the plural. Also called graupel, soft hail. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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