Graupel
![A handful of graupel pellets](/Images/godic/202501/16/Graupel,_Westwood,_MA_2010-02-022601.jpg")
![Falling graupel](/Images/godic/202501/16/Graupel_Falling2601.jpg")
![Graupel encasing an unseen snow crystal](/Images/godic/202501/16/Graupel_encasing_a_snow_crystal2601.jpg")
![Rime on both ends of a columnar snow crystal](/Images/godic/202501/16/Snowflake_300um_LTSEM,_133682602.jpg")
Graupel (German pronunciation:[ˈɡʁaʊpəl]; English /ˈɡraʊpəl/, also called soft hail, snow pellets or "Grail" is precipitation that forms when supercooled droplets of water are collected and freeze on falling snowflakes, forming 2–5 mm (0.08–0.20 in) balls of rime. The term graupel comes from the German language.