A spray nozzle assembly for a steam desuperheating or attemperator device. In one embodiment, the spray nozzle sub-assembly of the spray nozzle assembly comprises a fixed nozzle element which is integrated into a spring-loaded nozzle element, and is specifically adapted to improve water droplet fractionation at higher flow rates while further providing an effectively higher spray area through the formation of two water cones (rather than a single water cone), such water cones being sprayed into a flow of superheated steam in order to reduce the temperature of the steam. In another embodiment, the spray nozzle sub-assembly of the spray nozzle assembly comprises a nested pair of spring-loaded primary and secondary nozzle elements which are also adapted to provide an effectively higher spray area through the formation of two water cones.