The Wonders of Winter Weather

As my mother drove me home on Wednesday morning, I was worry free noticing the dry roads and lack of precipitation. My mother had told me she hoped we didn't encounter snow on the two hour drive back to Long Island. I was doubtful as I looked into the clear sky above Newburgh. As we drove down the Thruway, It began to drizzle. Further on our journey, I could see a blurry cloud in the road ahead. As we approached I could see the blurry cloud was made out of tiny specks of snow. We drove into the blizzard and I found it remarkable to watch the temperature drop and the rain drops turn into snow flakes. We could feel the road freezing underneath the car. While I made my observations of the rapidly changing weather I thought about the concept of freezing point. Although I am familiar with the concept of freezing, I could not understand the weather shift that occurred next. It sounded like rocks were hitting the car! It was hailing- ice falling from the sky! This is the question I hope to find the answer to: what are the precise conditions required for hail and how are those conditions different from snow? This is just the first of many questions I will be asking on my journey to discover science in my environment.