Precipitation is water that falls from the sky in various forms including rain, sleet, freezing rain, snow, and hail. Rain is the most common type and occurs when drops of liquid water fall from clouds. Other types include sleet which is a mixture of snow and rain, freezing rain which freezes on contact, snow which forms directly from water vapor, and hail which grows larger after repeated trips up and down within storm clouds.

1. What is
precipitation?
Precipitation is water that falls in
any form from the sky to the
Earth.

2. Rain
Rain is the most common type of precipitation in our
atmosphere. Rain takes place when drops of liquid
water fall all the way to the surface of the Earth. Rain
often takes one of two main forms. These two forms are
showers, and drizzles. Showers lasts just a brief period
of time, and usually are made up of large heavy drops.
Drizzles generally last much longer, and are made up of
smaller finer droplets of water.

3. Is rain the only type of
precipitation?
Can you think of
any other types
of precipitation?
Brainstorm a list
with you partner.

4. Sleet
Sleet refers to a
mixture of snow
and rain, as well as
raindrops that
freeze on their way
down.

5. Freezing Rain
Freezing rain which is
sometimes referred
to as glaze, takes
place when water
droplets become
super-chilled. They
do not freeze in air,
but rather freeze
the instant they
strike an object such
as a road, or car.
The result can make
roads very slippery.

6. Snow
Snow forms when water vapor turns directly into
ice without ever passing through a liquid state.
This happens as water condenses around an ice
crystal.

7. Hail
Hail forms in a complex dance between moisture, and wind.
Deep within cumulonimbus clouds ice crystals form, and
begin to fall towards the Earth’s surface. As this happens,
wind gusts pick up the ice crystals pushing them back up high
into the clouds. As they begin to fall again, they continue
growing in size. This process may be repeated several more
times, until the hail stone becomes so large that it is too
heavy for the wind to carry, causing it to fall towards the
Earth.

8. References
 Text: http://www.kidsgeo.com/
 Images: www.bing.com