Stratospheric sulfate aerosols, originating from the Mt. Pinatubo volcanic eruption, have been observed during three winters in the Arctic by balloonborne backscattersondes. A measured color index, defined as the quotient between the aerosol backscatter ratios at wavelengths 940 and 480 nm, provides information of the size of the observed particles. The effects of liquid particle growth, by water vapor uptake, clearly show up as changes in the color index, whereas measurements on other days indicate the particles to be frozen. Air parcel trajectories have been calculated, providing the temperature history of the observed particles. Evidences appear of a temperature hysteresis in the freezing and melting cycle of the aerosol, indicating melting temperatures around 215-220 K in good agreement with laboratory measurements, and freezing of the particles within less than 5 K above the ice frost point. The changes in color index of the liquid particles are in good agreement with predictions from theoretical model calculations of growth by water vapor uptake. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1995