Let it Graupel

Last winter the Man came home with startling news. He heard on the radio about a new type of snow. It looked like little Styrofoam balls. When it fell and finally landed you felt like you were in a snow globe. He couldn't remember what it was called except that it started with a "G".


"Can you believe it? You think you've heard everything and then you find out that something new is falling from the sky!"


Today is day three of snow around here. Snow a week before Thanksgiving isn't unheard of, but enough snow to cover everything and stay, which it has, certainly is upsetting folks. My street was an ice rink this morning. My driveway is a deathtrap. And true to my prediction, the leaf sucker truck has not returned. Everyone has a snow covered drift of frozen leaves banking their front yard.


I was zombie-sitting a particularly nasty group of second graders today. I couldn't wait for the buses to come. Of course, one of the buses was late and that was the bus that was supposed to be carting away my two worst offenders. As we stood outside waiting for the big yellow savior I took a good look at the snow. It was in the shape of tiny balls, like Styrofoam packing all ripped to shreds.


"Hey, this type of snow has a special name," I pointed out to the future juvie inmates.


They all looked at what was gathering on their shoulders, gloves and the ground.



"Yeah? What's it called?" They pointed their little rat faces at me waiting for the answer.


"Umm...it starts with a G. I'm not sure actually."


Luckily the bus pulled in at the moment so I didn't have to put up with their smirks.


Anyway, that type of snow is called a graupel. Now I know and so do you!