You can tell "graupel" is a German word and it just rolls off the tongue nicely. German "graupel" is the diminutive of Graupe, hulled grain or pearl barley, probably of Slavic origin; akin to Russian krupa, groats. Etymologists say there does seem to be a grain of truth in the assumption that the word grew from the Slavic word krupa, which has the same meaning. Graupel was first seen in an 1889 weather report and has been whirling around in the meteorology field ever since to describe "pellets of snow" or "soft hail" (the latter phrase is an actual synonym of graupel).
From Wiki:. It is also called soft hail, hominy snow, or snow pellets [POF - we called it "corn snow" as kids before we heard "graupel"] and is precipitation that forms when supercooled water droplets in air are collected and freeze on falling snowflakes, forming 2–5 mm (0.08–0.20 in) balls of crisp, opaque rime.
Graupel is distinct from hail and ice pellets in both formation and appearance. However, both hail and graupel are common in thunderstorms with cumulonimbus clouds, though graupel also falls in winter storms, and at higher elevations as well. It has its own METAR code for graupel: GS.
Graupel commonly forms in high-altitude climates and is both denser and more granular than ordinary snow, due to its rimed exterior. Macroscopically, graupel resembles small beads of polystyrene. The combination of density and low viscosity makes fresh layers of graupel unstable on slopes, and layers of 20–30 cm (8–12 in) or higher present a high risk of dangerous slab avalanches. In addition, thinner layers of graupel falling at low temperatures can act as ball bearings below subsequent falls of more naturally stable snow, rendering them also liable to avalanche or otherwise making surfaces slippery. Graupel tends to compact and stabilise ("weld") approximately one or two days after falling, depending on the temperature and the properties of the graupel.
Snowflakes can turn into graupel...
Almost graupel...
Graupel in shape of snowflake...
It's pretty cool when the stuff falls and covers our driveway and patio. It indeed looks like ball bearings (like hail, but softer as it says above).