WINTRY PRECIPITATION

(often used as 'wintry showers'): When the air temperature is close to zero deg.C (either side), it is sometimes easier to use this shorthand term for showers producing soft hail, sleet, snow, 'sleety-rain' etc. Frowned upon by proper meteorologists but a useful term nonetheless. (However, we try to avoid it when the showers are much heavier, and are expected to give significant snowfall.)