What temp turns rain to sleet?

Answer 1

Sleet doesn't necessarily form in clouds. It is actually rain that freezes on its way to the ground (as opposed to freezing rain, which is plain old rain that freezes AFTER it hits the cold ground.) Hail, in contrast to sleet, forms in cumulonimbus clouds when super-cooled water adheres to dust particles in the clouds. The ice balls that form begin to fall but may be lifted by rising convection currents, where another layer of ice forms. This process continues indefinitely until the hailstone falls to the ground.

Answer 2

It's important to understand that it is the temperature in the atmosphere above you, not on the ground, that determines whether rain or sleet falls. In the winter in cold locations such as yours, all precipitation starts in the clouds as snow, but it could melt and even refreeze on its way down. Only if the temperature from the cloud to the surface is below freezing all the way down will snow fall at the surface. If there is a layer near the surface where the temperature is above freezing (which can occur for complicated reasons), the snow will melt into rain drops, but have time to refreeze into ice pellets (sleet) before reaching the ground. If the temperature is above freezing all the way to the ground, that rain won't refreeze, and will just fall as rain.

Answer 3

There is no set temperature for sleet. it has to be 32 deg. Fahrenheit to have snow/ice but in the in between temperatures is where you get sleet.

Answer 4

There are several types, including nimbostratus and different types of cumulus.

Answer 5

it snow aroud 3 to minus