Winter Weather » Precipitation Type Summary
There are a number of parameters that may be assessed to help forecast precipitation type at a given location. These include thickness; wet-bulb temperature; existence, strength, and depth of a warm layer (T>0°C) above the surface; depth of a cold layer (T<0°C) near the surface; and surface temperature, just to name a few. At times, these parameters may produce disagreement, emphasizing how important it is to evaluate the entire sounding (either observed or from a forecast model) to adequately assess and forecast winter precipitation type.