Snow, sleet and hail are the forms of

Snow, sleet, and hail are all distinct forms of precipitation, which is defined as water from the atmosphere reaching the ground in any form [4]. Precipitation occurs when atmospheric water vapor condenses and falls to the surface [6]. Snow consists of fine flakes or hexagonal crystals formed when temperatures are below freezing [3]. Sleet refers to frozen raindrops or refrozen melted snow that reaches the ground as small ice pellets [2]. Hail is a solid form of precipitation consisting of hard, rounded pellets of ice, often formed within cumulonimbus clouds through repeated circulation above and below the freezing level [5]. While condensation is the process of water vapor turning into liquid or ice, and evaporation and transpiration involve water returning to the atmosphere, snow, sleet, and hail specifically represent the moisture released back to the Earth's surface [7].

Sources

1. [4] Exploring Society:India and Beyond. Social Science-Class VI . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: Landforms and Life > THINK ABOUT IT > p. 43
2. [6] https://gpm.nasa.gov/education/articles/nasa-earth-science-water-cycle
3. [2] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 24: Hydrological Cycle (Water Cycle) > Precipitation > p. 338
4. [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 24: Hydrological Cycle (Water Cycle) > Precipitation > p. 337
5. [1] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 10: Water in the Atmosphere > Precipitation > p. 88
6. [5] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 4: Climate of India > Hail > p. 30
7. [7] https://www.usgs.gov/water-science-school/science/atmosphere-and-water-cycle