Precipitation

Water that falls to the ground, in solid or liquid form, including rain, snow, sleet, and hail. All precipitation is measured in its liquid water equivalent. Precipitation comes from clouds, which are formed of water vapor evaporated from the land and oceans. This vapor condenses into tiny water droplets or ice crystals. When these droplets grow large enough, and the temperature is above freezing, they fall as rain. If the temperature is cold enough for them to freeze, they fall as snow, sleet, or hail. Sleet is snow that has melted and refrozen on the way down. Hailstones form in the powerful gusty winds of thunderstorms, as frozen water droplets buffeted by the air are covered with layers of ice until they’re too heavy to stay aloft and fall as hail.