The word "graupel" is Germanic in origin; it is the diminutive of "Graupe," meaning "pearl barley." According to etymologists, there does seem to be a grain of truth in the assumption that the word grew from the Slavic word "krupa," which has the same meaning.

Is graupel the same as snow?

Graupel is also called snow pellets or soft hail, as the graupel particles are particularly fragile and generally disintegrate when handled. Sleet are small ice particles that form from the freezing of liquid water drops, such as raindrops.

What is difference between sleet and graupel?

Sleet, also referred to as ice pellets, is a precipitation type consisting of grains of ice that form when raindrops or partially-melted snowflakes fall through a layer of subfreezing air and freeze solid before they reach the ground. Graupel, On the other hand, is formed in an entirely different manner.