If ice pellets are encountered, the air above can be expected to be:

When ice pellets, also known as sleet, are encountered during flight, it indicates specific atmospheric conditions that can lead to the inference that the air above is warmer. Ice pellets form when raindrops freeze before reaching the ground, suggesting that there is a layer of warmer air above a cooler layer near the surface.

This situation typically occurs in an inversion layer where warm air overlies cooler air. As the warm air rises, it allows the raindrops to remain liquid until they pass through the colder layer before reaching the surface, resulting in the formation of ice pellets. Thus, when ice pellets are observed, it is a clear sign that the air above is warmer relative to the colder air close to the surface, enabling this transition from rain to ice pellets to occur.

In contrast, cold air and stable conditions would discourage the formation of ice pellets, as they tend to be associated with other forms of precipitation or more stable atmospheric conditions. The unpredictable nature of weather dynamics does not offer the specific insight that can be derived from the presence of ice pellets either.