The term 'wintry mix' is a weather phenomenon that describes a combination of precipitation such as snow, SLEET, freezing rain, and hail. The crossword solution for this term is 'SLEET, ' which is a type of frozen precipitation that is made up of small ice pellets that are created when rain droplets freeze in the atmosphere. SLEET is often associated with wintry mix because it is a common form of precipitation during cold winter months.