Ice a density about one quarter of that of pure ice. Hard rime is comparatively dense. Ice pellets are a form of precipitation consisting of small, translucent balls of ice. This form of precipitation is also referred to as "sleet" by the United States National Weather Service. (In British English "sleet" refers to a mixture of rain and snow). Ice pellets are usually smaller than hailstones. They often bounce when they hit the ground, and generally do not freeze into a solid mass unless mixed with freezing rain. The METAR code for ice pellets is "PL". Ice pellets form when a
Ice pellets a solid mass unless mixed with freezing rain. The METAR code for ice pellets is PL (PE before November 1998). Ice pellets are known as sleet in the United States, the official term used by the U.S. National Weather Service. However, the term sleet refers to a mixture of rain and snow in most Commonwealth countries, including Canada. Because of this, Environment Canada never uses the term "sleet", and uses the terms "ice pellets" or "wet snow" instead. Ice pellets form when a layer of above-freezing air is located between above the ground, with sub-freezing air both above and below