Freezing Rain vs Sleet: Why One Coats Roads and One Bounces
The difference between freezing rain and sleet, how warm layers aloft create each type, and why freezing rain can be so destructive.
The vertical setup
Both hazards often begin as snow high in the cloud. A warm layer aloft melts snowflakes into raindrops.
If the cold layer near the ground is shallow, drops stay liquid and freeze on surfaces as freezing rain. If the cold layer is deeper, drops refreeze into sleet.
Why freezing rain is worse
Freezing rain can glaze roads, trees, power lines, and sidewalks. Even small amounts can cause major travel and power problems.
Sleet is hazardous too, but it usually bounces and accumulates more like tiny ice pellets.
Forecast difficulty
A tiny temperature change a few hundred feet above the ground can change snow to sleet or freezing rain.
That is why winter precipitation type forecasts can shift close to the event.