Which type of precipitation occurs when ice crystals melt as they fall through warm air?

• A. Snow
• B. Sleet
• C. Hail
• D. Rain

Answer: (D)

Precipitation type depends on how temperatures change from the cloud down to the ground. When ice crystals fall through air that’s warmer than freezing, they melt into liquid water. If that warm layer continues all the way to the surface, the melted drops remain liquid and reach the ground as rain. If there’s a cold layer near the ground, those melted drops can refreeze before hitting the surface, giving sleet or freezing rain instead. So melting in a warm air layer naturally leads to rain.