Figured tonight would be a good time to repost this graphic that explains the difference between snow, sleet and freezing rain.

And you can only get hail in thunderstorms which are typically in warmer weather. Hail and sleet are different.

So right now, even though we are well below freezing at the surface in western New Jersey (mid 20’s), there is a warmer layer above us that is melting the snow. But there is still enough cold air near the surface to re-freeze the rain and turn it into snow. Once a snow flake melts, it can’t go back to being a snow flake

We will most likely have a period of freezing rain until all of the warmer air makes it down to the surface and gives us rain. We want that to be a short as possible. I’d rather have sleet over freezing rain…