Graupel tends to compact and stabilise (weld) approximately one or two days after falling, depending on the temperature and the properties of the graupel.
Graupel forms fragile, oblong shapes and falls in place of typical snowflakes in wintry mix situations, often in concert with ice pellets.
However, graupel is easily distinguishable from hail in both the shape and strength of the pellet and the circumstances in which it falls.
Droplets freeze upon impact and can form graupel.
Many schemes use at least three categories: cloud ice, graupel, and snow.
The process is called "riming" when super-cooled cloud droplets attach to ice crystals in the formation of graupel.
This scheme uses five different classifications of cloud water: liquid cloud water, cloud ice, rain water, snow, and hail/graupel.
Graupel is found mostly in regions of weak updrafts.
