After a night of stormy weather, the Capital Region is waking up to a dramatic temperature drop and frozen precipitation. Monday morning, many Storm Station viewers sent in pictures of ice pellets, also known as sleet. 

While hail typically falls in spring and summer thunderstorms, sleet is more common with cold precipitation events. There is a difference in how the two types form. Sleet occurs when snowflakes melt into raindrops as they fall through a thin layer of warmer air, but then hit a much deeper layer of freezing air near the ground. This causes the droplets to refreeze into tiny, clear ice pellets before they hit the surface. Unlike hail, which is pushed up and down by storm winds, sleet is a straightforward process of "melting and refreezing" on the way down.

The Storm Station expects a blustery and much colder Monday. Temperatures will fall well below average before a gradual warmup later this week. A FREEZE WATCH is in effect for Monday night, with temperatures expected to plummet into the low 30s.

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