Pellets of frozen rain (4) Crossword Clue
Answer: HAIL (4 letters)
The answer to the crossword clue "Pellets of frozen rain" with 4 letters is "HAIL". Hail refers to pellets of frozen rain that form in thunderstorms when updrafts carry raindrops into cold areas of the atmosphere, freezing them into ice. These ice pellets can range in size and cause damage when they fall to the ground during a storm.
Why “Hail” Fits
The clue asks for a 4-letter word describing “pellets of frozen rain.” The answer, HAIL, fits neatly
- Pellets of frozen rain: “Hail” refers to small, hard balls or lumps of ice that form within thunderstorms and fall from the sky like rain, but frozen solid.
- Meteorological context: Hailstones are created when updrafts carry raindrops into extremely cold air, causing them to freeze and grow before falling to the ground.
This direct and accurate term makes “hail” the ideal solution for the clue.
“Hail” is a frequent subject in weather reports and science:
- Formation: Hail develops in cumulonimbus clouds, where updrafts repeatedly lift and re-freeze water droplets into layered ice pellets.
- Physical traits: Hailstones vary in size—from tiny pellets to golf ball-sized or even larger stones.
- Impact: Hail can cause damage to crops, buildings, vehicles, and people if the pellets are large or fall at high speed.
- Usage: “The storm brought hail last night.” “Farmers worry about hail damaging their fields.”
“Hail” perfectly bridges the clue’s requirements of being both precipitation and frozen, pellet-like in form.
In quick crosswords, clues like “pellets of frozen rain (4)”:
- Aim for short, familiar weather-related nouns—“hail,” “snow,” “sleet.”
- The answer length (4) fits "hail" exactly, while other terms (“sleet”) don’t match.
- When clues combine precipitation with a physical descriptor (pellets, frozen), “hail” is nearly always the answer.
Spotting both the physical and meteorological cues ensures "hail" is the right grid entry.