How do you get snow and hail at the same time?

Answer 1

Well, darling, when Mother Nature can't make up her mind, you get a little mix of both snow and hail. It happens when there are different layers of air at different temperatures, causing snowflakes to partially melt and refreeze into hail before hitting the ground. It's like a weather cocktail with a side of confusion.

Answer 2

Remember that hail is different than sleet (ice pellets). You only get hail from a thunderstorm with the right amount of convection. Growing up in Iowa, I do remember getting the right combination of instability in the atmosphere that we got a thunderstorm with heavy snow since it was in the upper 20's. Different areas of the cloud contained different forms of precipitation. We did experience small hail during this storm while it was snowing. Unusual, but it can happen. I also remember a thunderstorm with heavy sleet and hail. Temperature was in the upper teens. Very shallow layer of cold air over Des Moines, but warm air aloft.

Answer 3

Snow and hail can fall simultaneously in certain conditions when temperatures vary throughout the atmosphere. As snow falls from colder clouds, it can pass through a layer of warmer air, partially melting and refreezing into hailstones. This phenomenon typically occurs during intense thunderstorms or in environments with rapidly changing temperatures.