How donuts describe variations of winter precipitation

Winter is well known for its cold and gloomy days but also for its different types of precipitation. Freezing rain, sleet and snow are typical of the season. So far this winter, we have experienced a glaze of freezing drizzle, a few pellets of sleet and mounds of snow.

Weather can be tricky and hard to understand. Many atmospheric dynamics play a role in forecasting winter weather. Meteorologists like myself analyze different layers of the atmosphere along with other key elements such as atmospheric moisture, temperature variations and more. It can get complicated pretty quickly.

A sweet and tasty way to remember the difference between freezing rain and sleet is by thinking of doughnuts. A glazed donut can represent freezing rain, as the clear, sugary topping resembles a “glaze of ice.” This is a helpful reminder that freezing rain ices on contact with a cold surface and makes road conditions particularly hazardous.

On the other hand, a decorated doughnut with sprinkles can help you remember sleet. Both freezing rain and sleet begin as snow but pass through a warm layer that melts them into rain. The key difference between the two is the cold air near the surface. For sleet, a thicker cold layer above the surface allows the raindrops to refreeze into ice pellets before reaching the ground.

Think of those pellets as “sprinkles of ice.” While sleet does bounce off surfaces, it still can partially stick to roads and make road conditions a bit slippery.

Even though we’ve had spring-like temperatures and sunshine this week, the cold season is far from over. Meteorological winter lasts until Feb. 28, while the first official day of spring isn’t until March 20. That means there’s still plenty of time for more wintry precipitation, which can linger as late as April or even early May from year to year.

So now the next time you get a coffee, a doughnut and open the Weekender you can remind yourself of the subtle difference between sleet and freezing rain.