Soft hail is a type of precipitation that falls from the sky in the form of small, icy pellets. This type of precipitation is also known by other names such as graupel, snow pellets, soft ice, or small hailstones. These synonyms for soft hail are used interchangeably depending on the region and climate. Soft hail is typically formed when super-cooled droplets of water freeze onto snowflakes or other types of airborne particles. Unlike the typical hailstones, soft hail has a soft and mushy texture, which makes it less damaging to structures and crops. Its size and density vary depending on the weather conditions.