Although it is a myth that the Inuit have 50 words for snow, I got to thinking about it. Although I live south of Inuit land (I live on Treaty 1 land), I can recognise a number of different snow types of snow. From warmest to coldest - Frost (I don’t actually consider this snow). Freezing rain (occurs mainly in winter). ‘Snain’ (a mix of snow and rain that may or may not stay). A ‘skiff’ of snow (often big flakes that will stay on the ground if it’s cold enough, but not really accumulate). Wet snow (warm enough to roll into snowmen). Fluffy snow (big flakes that fall, usually without wind). Fine snow (often accompanied by wind). Snow dunes (fine snow that blows and compacts into semi solid dunes. Best snow for making igloos). Crusty snow (occurs when freezing rain falls on winter snow and forms an ice crust, but the snow underneath is not really changed). As the weather warms up, there is corn snow (snow that has melted underneath the surface in the sun, and is largely ice, but is still snow). Ice snow (remnants in the early spring). Human made snow - ice snow from compaction by cars, and ‘road snot’ a mix of sand and salt that makes walking/riding, even driving difficult.
So that makes 11 types of snow that I recognise. I was wondering if others have degradations in their weather that they would like to contribute. For example, I’ve heard of tropical monsoons, but do folks on the ground grade them differently than just ‘rain’? There are so many climates, and I’d like to hear what other people use to grade their weather.
I didn’t see graupel mentioned, a kind of winter hail, that I often see in my area of SW U.S. and similar high elevation (mile-high and above) areas.
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that! Would that be like freezing rain, or a different beast?
What about sleet? Tiny hailstones that you can’t really feel and accumulate on the ground, mainly in spring. It never sticks for more than a few hours.
I recognized all the snow types you mentioned in the first post, although I wasn’t familiar with all the different names you mentioned (like corn snow).
I would class sleet as a form of ‘snain’! But with more ice. And yes, all the names are local.
Graupel might be same as corn snow.
Incidentally, our first snow of the season is today which shows you how dry and warm it’s been.
With all the hyperbole surrounding snow storms here in Minnesota (about 740km south of Winnipeg), we have heard really paralyzing winter storms called “snownamis”–worse than that would be “snowmageddon.” We differentiate dry, powdery (small flake) snow that is ideal for trekking through from heavy, wet (big flake) snow ideal for snowballs, snow creatures, etc., that requires trudging. Frozen layer on top we refer to as crusty snow. We refer to snow/ice chunks that fall off vehicles as “car poops.” For those who don’t drive on winter roadways, “black ice” is when vehicle exhaust freezes on the roadway. It’s hard to see and causes lots of spinouts, which is terrifying to see on the freeways and probably worse to experience. We keep emergency warm clothes and hats and gloves all winter in our car trunk.
We have “black ice” here in Wisconsin too, although I hear that term more in reference to slippery sidewalk than roads (although it’s used for both).
Another snow-related term not mentioned yet is hoarfrost, which is weird fuzzy-looking ice formations that form on tree branches.
Hoarfrost is a different beast. I would class it with Frost, but much more beautiful! Black ice (@wildwestnature) is different in it’s nature - fine or polished ice that cannot really be seen, especially at night.
In my area there is a specific wind pattern called the Santa Ana wind, a warm, low-himidity wind from the northeast (inland) to the southwest (coast). It was most associated with the fall, when it’s a big driver of wildfire, but it happens in the spring too and lately even in the winter if we are having drought conditions. In horticulture it’s our least favorite weather because the gusts make a mess of leaves etc and it’s very drying on the plants and our skin. We are having it today and my hands are very uncomfortable.
This isn’t tropical, but in Arizona you would say “a monsoon” or “monsoon rain” for the summer thunderstorm variety of rain. Sometimes the monsoon is preceeded by a sand/dust storm called by the Arabic term haboob. If the dust doesn’t settle before the rain begins, it can rain mud!
At least in the SW U.S., monsoon rains are summer phenomena driven by warm moist air (such as from the Gulf of Mexico) being pushed north into arid areas and the storms often form as this air is pushed up mountains to form thunderheads. The thunderheads then drift around and dump rain in various places.
I saw my first haboob in NM a few years ago and it wasn’t pleasant.
I live in Canada’s PNW. We get a lot of rain. I’ve heard people use the terms thundershowers, heavy rain, more rain, scattered rain, light rain, showers, light showers, scattered showers, drizzle, light drizzle and ‘yeah what ever I’m still not wearing a raincoat’.
Do you use shroom rain term?
That is a new one to me but I love it 
A friend sent this book as a holiday present and I highly recommend it (based on dipping into the first quarter or so): http://nancycampbell.co.uk/fifty-words-for-snow/
I was pleasantly surprised that Nancy Campbell was quick to dispel the myth of the vast Inuit vocabulary for snow early on. And I’ve been enjoying the way she takes each of her chosen snow words as a jumping-off point to consider human interaction with the environment. Living as I now do about 2 miles from San Francisco Bay, I wonder if I should adopt the under-used Thai word for snow, “hima”, as we experience snow here almost as infrequently.
Slightly above freezing point, my favorite weather word would have to be the Scots “dreich”.
In addition to some of the terms above, sometimes people in Central Texas will call a really light rain (less than a drizzle, but more than a fog) “misting”. if the rain is light and sporadic, they may say something like, “it was ‘spitting’ for a bit, but we didn’t get any real rain.”
Here in NYC I also use the terms 'misting" and “spitting”.
Yes the cause of the SW USA monsoons is as you described. I am not sure how it differs from the use of the same word in, say, India. I have opened the Wikipedia article, but it is long.
I had a childhood friend who was caught in a haboob walking home and ended up getting particle pneumonia.
That’s a small rain, usually when sky is clear, and with an idea it will aid shrooms to grow.)