What air temperature conditions would likely lead to the formation of ice pellets?

The formation of ice pellets, also known as sleet, typically occurs in specific atmospheric conditions where warm air overlays a layer of cold air. When precipitation forms in the warmer air aloft, it starts as liquid water droplets. As these droplets fall through the colder air below, they encounter air temperatures that are below freezing. This causes the droplets to freeze into small ice pellets before hitting the ground.

In this scenario, warm air aloft is crucial because it allows liquid droplets to form initially. The colder air beneath provides the necessary conditions for those droplets to freeze before reaching the surface. This process is what distinguishes the formation of ice pellets from other types of precipitation, such as snow or rain.

While other conditions may also influence the weather, they do not create the specific temperature contrast needed for ice pellets to form effectively. Having cold air from surface updrafts, stable warm air layers, or constant temperatures would not provide the necessary atmospheric dynamics for the creation of ice pellets, primarily because they do not present the right thermal profile of warm air above and cold air below.