Short answer
Hail is ice that grows inside a thunderstorm, lifted by strong updrafts. Sleet is small ice pellets made when snow melts in a warmer layer and refreezes in cold air below. Both can bounce when they hit the ground; the weather system and formation path tell them apart. 1 2
Both fall as ice, but hail grows in thunderstorms and sleet forms through a winter temperature profile.
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At a glance
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| Question | Hail | Sleet |
|---|---|---|
| Typical setting | Thunderstorm | Winter precipitation |
| How ice forms | Growth around a nucleus in an updraft | Melt and refreeze on the way down |
| Typical appearance | Can be layered and large | Usually small hard pellets |
The table summarizes the cited definitions and the article’s stated scope. 1 2
What each thing is
Hail. Ice precipitation that grows in a thunderstorm updraft as droplets freeze onto a hailstone. 1
Sleet. Small ice pellets formed when partially or fully melted snow refreezes before reaching the ground. 2
Key differences
A hailstone can repeatedly encounter supercooled water in a thunderstorm, adding ice layers until it falls. Sleet begins higher up as snow and passes through warmer then colder air. The same word “ice” hides two very different atmospheric histories. 1 2
How to tell them apart
Look at the storm and forecast, not size alone. Pellets during thunder and strong convective weather suggest hail; pellets in a wintry mix with a warm layer aloft suggest sleet. If it is raining liquid that freezes on contact, that is freezing rain, another distinction. 1 2
Where they overlap
Both are frozen precipitation and can make travel hazardous. Very small hail and other ice pellets can look similar on the ground, so context or weather observations may be necessary. 1 2
Edge cases
Hail can fall in cool weather, and sleet can occur during a brief mixed event. Graupel and snow pellets introduce additional look-alikes. Do not infer a precise origin from a single pellet without storm context. 1 2
Why the distinction exists
Meteorologists separate the terms because their formation, associated hazards and forecast settings differ. Hail points to thunderstorms; sleet points to a vertical winter temperature structure. 1 2
Common misconceptions
Sleet is not tiny hail by definition. The two may look alike but develop through different processes. 1 2
Examples
A summer thunderstorm drops layered ice balls onto a sidewalk: hail. A winter storm drops hard pellets after snow crosses warm then cold air: sleet. 1 2
Sources
Sources checked October 3, 2026.
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — Thunderstorm Hazards — Hail. Hail growth in updrafts.
- National Weather Service — What Causes a Wintry Mix of Precipitation?. Sleet formation.