partial or complete melting
question: What happens when snowflakes fall through a warm air layer?, context: Ice pellets form when a layer of above-freezing air exists with sub-freezing air both above and below.  This causes the partial or complete melting of any snowflakes falling through the warm layer.  As they fall back into the sub-freezing layer closer to the surface, they re-freeze into ice pellets.  However, if the sub-freezing layer beneath the warm layer is too small, the precipitation will not have time to re-freeze, and freezing rain will be the result at the surface.  A temperature profile showing a warm layer above the ground is most likely to be found in advance of a warm front during the cold season, but can occasionally be found behind a passing cold front.
What happens when snowflakes fall through a warm air layer?
 This causes the partial or complete melting of any snowflakes falling through the warm layer.
Ice pellets form when a layer of above-freezing air exists with sub-freezing air both above and below.  This causes the partial or complete melting of any snowflakes falling through the warm layer.  As they fall back into the sub-freezing layer closer to the surface, they re-freeze into ice pellets.  However, if the sub-freezing layer beneath the warm layer is too small, the precipitation will not have time to re-freeze, and freezing rain will be the result at the surface.  A temperature profile showing a warm layer above the ground is most likely to be found in advance of a warm front during the cold season, but can occasionally be found behind a passing cold front.
 This causes the <hl> partial or complete melting <hl> of any snowflakes falling through the warm layer.
Ice pellets form when a layer of above-freezing air exists with sub-freezing air both above and below. This causes the <hl> partial or complete melting <hl> of any snowflakes falling through the warm layer. As they fall back into the sub-freezing layer closer to the surface, they re-freeze into ice pellets. However, if the sub-freezing layer beneath the warm layer is too small, the precipitation will not have time to re-freeze, and freezing rain will be the result at the surface. A temperature profile showing a warm layer above the ground is most likely to be found in advance of a warm front during the cold season, but can occasionally be found behind a passing cold front.
Ice pellets form when a layer of above-freezing air exists with sub-freezing air both above and below. <hl> This causes the partial or complete melting of any snowflakes falling through the warm layer. <hl> As they fall back into the sub-freezing layer closer to the surface, they re-freeze into ice pellets. However, if the sub-freezing layer beneath the warm layer is too small, the precipitation will not have time to re-freeze, and freezing rain will be the result at the surface. A temperature profile showing a warm layer above the ground is most likely to be found in advance of a warm front during the cold season, but can occasionally be found behind a passing cold front.