08:04 – Synchronicity. Until I used the word “graupel” yesterday, I don’t believe I’d ever seen it used in an English-language setting. Growing up in Pennsylvania, we called it “soft sleet” or “slush”.
So when Barbara checked her mail and regular web sites after dinner last night, she shouted “graupel?” to me. I told her what it was. A short while later, she told me that a National Weather Service Local Weather Alert on the Weather Channel website was forecasting graupel. Indeed.
Issued by The National Weather Service
Raleigh/Durham, NC
Tue, Mar 25, 2014, 6:11 PM EDT… SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS… POSSIBLY MIXED WITH SOME GRAUPEL AND/OR WET SNOW… WILL MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL NC OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS…
SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS WILL MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. WET SNOW AND/OR GRAUPEL WILL BRIEFLY MIX IN WITHIN THE HEAVIER SHOWERS. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL REPORTS OF MIXED PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE TRIAD AND NORTHERN PIEDMONT DURING THE LAST HOUR AND THIS WILL TRANSLATE EAST OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. HOWEVER… WITH TEMPERATURES ABOVE FREEZING AND MAINLY MIXED PRECIPITATION… LITTLE ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. ANY WET SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WOULD BE CONFINED TO GRASSY AND ELEVATED SURFACES WITH NO ACCUMULATION ON ROADS OR BRIDGES.
Work continues on building more forensic science kits. We need to get another dozen or two built this week, and then get to work on building more biology kits. We’re in good shape on chemistry kits for now.