Graupel

Graupel is distinguishable from true hail in both the shape and strength of the pellet and, in some cases, the circumstances in which it falls.

Graupel forms fragile, soft, oblong crystals and falls in place of typical snowflakes in wintry mix situations, often in concert with ice pellets.

[6] The frozen droplets on the surface of rimed crystals are difficult to see even when zoomed in, and the topography of a graupel particle is not easy to record with a light microscope because of the limited resolution and depth of field in the instrument.

The rime has been observed on all four basic forms of snow crystals, including plates, dendrites, columns and needles.

As the riming process continues, the mass of frozen, accumulated cloud droplets eventually obscures the form of the original snow crystal, thereby giving rise to graupel.

[4] Graupel commonly forms in high-altitude[quantify] climates and is both denser and more granular than ordinary snow, due to its rimed exterior.