Weather theoryQuestion 340 of 934

A pilot reports ice pellets. What do they indicate?

  1. A warm front with clear skies above the pellets
  2. Unstable air with convective showers and no inversion
  3. A temperature inversion, with freezing rain higher up
  4. Freezing rain at the surface only, with warm air aloft
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Correct answer: A temperature inversion, with freezing rain higher up

Rain freezes as it falls through the cold air under an inversion.

Source: Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), Chapter 12: Weather Theory — Precipitation, page 301

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Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026