http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pN-rSC0sg0

RAIN, SNOW, SLEET, AND HAIL! …How is it formed?

…And why?

The oceans are the main source of rain, but lakes and rivers also contribute to it. The Sun's heat evaporates the water. It remains in the atmosphere as an invisible vapor until it condenses, first into clouds and then into raindrops. Rain occurs when there is a sudden change in temperature which causes the rain droplets to fall or precipitate.

SNOW:Cold air (below freezing) is needed to make snow. For snow to fall to the ground, the temperature must be cold both up in the clouds where snowflakes form, and down at ground level. If the air near ground level is too warm, the snow will melt on its way down, changing to rain or freezing rain.

SLEET:Sleet is formed when raindrops pass through very cold layers in the atmosphere which causes them to freeze. It can also be formed when snow passes through warmer layers and partially melts then quickly passes through another cold layer.

HAIL:Hail is formed inside a cumulonimbus clouds. Condensation or rain drops form and freeze inside the cloud. After layers of ice continue to form, it will get to a point of being to heavy and will fall from the cloud, thus falling from the sky to the ground.

All air contains moisture, which is called water vapor. The moisture in the air close to the ground comes from the soil and the plants. When the air cools during the night, the moisture is cooled and water droplets form on the grass and plants.This is dew.

Dew Vs. Frost

Liquid becomes solid when the temperature reaches freezing point, or 0ºC (32ºF). When the temperature falls below freezing point, the moisture in the air freezes into ice crystals and they settle on grass and plants. This is frost.

The highest snowfall ever recorded in a one year period was 31.1 meters (1224 inches) in Mount Rainier, Washington State, United States, between February 19, 1971 and February 18, 1972.

Hail ClassificationsH0 Pea size, causes no damageH1 Leaves and flower petals punctured and tornH2 Leaves stripped form trees and plantsH3 Panes of glass broken, auto bodies dentedH4 Some house windows broken, small tree branches broken, birds killedH5 Many house windows broken, small animals injured, large tree branches brokenH6 Roof shingles destroyed, metal roofs dented, wood window frames broken awayH7 Roofs shattered, autos seriously damagedH8 Roofs totally destroyed, small tree trunks split, people seriously injuredH9 Concrete roofs breeched, large tree trunks split/knocked down, people at risk of fatal injuriesH10 Brick structures damaged, people killed

The most rainfall ever recorded in 24 hours is 182.5 centimeters (71.9 inches) in Foc-Foc, La Réunion, during tropical cyclone Denise on January 8, 1966.

The heaviest hailstone ever recorded weighed 1.0 kg (2.25 lb) and landed in Gopalganj District, Bangladesh on April 14, 1986.