What is the difference between sleet and hail?
Sleet adds to groundwater, but hail does not.
Sleet is a form of precipitation, but hail is not.
Sleet is part of the water cycle, but hail is not.
Sleet occurs when it is cold, but hail does not.
The correct answer is: Sleet occurs when it is cold, but hail does not.
Sleet is a type of precipitation that falls as ice pellets or frozen raindrops. It typically occurs when there is a warm layer of air above the ground, causing raindrops to freeze before reaching the surface. Sleet is associated with cold temperatures.
Hail, on the other hand, is formed within severe thunderstorms when there are strong updrafts that carry raindrops upward into extremely cold regions of the atmosphere. These raindrops freeze and accumulate layers of ice, creating hailstones. Unlike sleet, hail can occur at any time of the year and is not limited to cold temperatures.
The other statements mentioned are not accurate distinctions between sleet and hail.