What occurs when liquid precipitation freezes upon surface contact?

The phenomenon that occurs when liquid precipitation freezes upon surface contact is indeed referred to as freezing precipitation. This process happens when rain, or another form of liquid precipitation, encounters surfaces that are at or below freezing temperatures, causing it to freeze almost immediately. This creates a layer of ice on the surface, which can lead to hazardous conditions, such as icy roads or sidewalks.

In contrast, the other options denote different types of precipitation or weather phenomena. Hail consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice that form in strong thunderstorms under specific conditions, while snow refers to precipitation that falls as ice crystals and does not involve liquid water as it is forming. Drizzle is a light form of rain consisting of very small, uniformly dispersed droplets, which does not involve freezing upon contact. Thus, freezing precipitation distinctly captures the situation described in the question, focusing specifically on the immediate transition of liquid to solid upon contact with a cold surface.