Hydrometeors

Hydrometeors consist of liquid or solid water particles. They may be suspended in the atmosphere, fall through the atmosphere, be blown by the wind from the Earth’s surface or be deposited on other objects. Snow or water on the ground is, by convention, not considered a hydrometeor.

We describe the following five types of hydrometeors:

• Suspended particles;

• Falling particles (precipitation);

• Particles raised by the wind from the Earth’s surface;

• Deposits of particles;

• Spouts.