There isn’t much snowfall down here in Miami, but we did pick up a news broadcast from CBS affiliate station WSAW-TV out of Wisconsin in early January that it was snowing what looked to be vanilla ‘Dippin’ Dots. Immediately, we thought Charlie and the Chocolate Factory met Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, (two of our favorite children’s books) to create a truly winter wonderland paradise. Either that, or we failed to capitalize on what could be considered one of the best marketing stunts in our lifetime. On further inspection, however, we were slightly disappointed to discover that it wasn’t Dippin’ Dots, but nature’s closest doppelganger: a type of snow called graupel. We hadn’t heard of the phenomena before, so we started to dig around for more information.
What is Graupel?
Turns out we weren’t the only ones not to have heard of graupel. A Washington Post article back in 2014 refers to graupel as “the wintry precipitation you’ve never heard of” and Webster’s Dictionary defines it as “soft hail”. Yet hail isn’t an accurate definition for graupel, nor is sleet or snow. Hail is created from raindrops that are lifted upward into freezing air by wind during severe weather conditions. Graupel, however, isn’t always associated with severe weather. Instead, graupel starts out life as snowflakes, which then fall through a layer of supercooled rain droplets that ultimately bind to the snowflakes. In the end, what hits the ground is a tiny, white pellet which is soft and crushable.
Etymology
Where does the word graupel come from? According to Webster’s dictionary, it is of Germanic origin and is a diminutive of graupe, meaning “pearl barley”. This makes sense given the similarity in shape. Apparently, the word was first used in the meteorological sense back in 1889 and has stuck ever since. So, the next time you see or hear of Dippin Dots falling from the sky, it’s not magic, snow, hail, sleet or really vanilla Dippin’ Dots at all – it’s actually graupel. We promise that if you stick your tongue out when graupel is falling, it won’t offer the same amazing taste and texture of Dippin’ Dots. Still, any graupel event provides great inspiration to go out and enjoy some genuine flash frozen Dippin’ Dots in a range of flavors.
Order From Home
Better yet, why leave your home at all. Thanks to Total Snacks, people living in Greater Miami can enjoy a number of home delivery options and a range of other great snacks, including Doc Popcorn via Uber Eats and DoorDash. To find our full menu and range of ordering options check out our online shop here. While you’re there, don’t forget to read about our catering services and partnership opportunities.
About Total Snacks
Total Snacks’ mission is to always provide the highest quality snack food for people to enjoy wherever and whenever. The business began in 2015 by entrepreneurs Eleazar López Contreras and Mabe León-Ponte, a husband and wife team, who immediately noticed a lack of high quality snacking options around their new home in Miami, Florida. From its humble beginnings as a single retail kiosk, the couple has worked tirelessly and creatively to bring the best in class snack foods to the region.
Today, Total Snacks stands out as the premier provider of snack foods and catering in Miami. Its products can be found in over 300 independent outlets, the company provides contract catering solutions to some of the largest sporting and entertainment venues in the area, while bringing smiles to thousands of people a year through its corporate and private catering activities. Despite its success, Total Snack has never wavered from its core mission to offer the highest quality snack foods and the best customer service.
