Freezing Rain
@RichardMeister (5328)
Otis Orchards, Washington
February 9, 2017 3:53pm CST
We had freezing rain last night. First there was snow, then came the freezing rain. You can see in the photo how the snow has a shiny gleam to it. That’s not because the snow shines, it’s because of the ice on top of the snow from the freezing rain.
Right now it’s raining. Plain rain, thank goodness. One of the worst things is freezing rain. It leaves ice everywhere–on everything. One of the weather forecaster said freezing rain occurs when everything is freezing cold and it rains. When the rain hits the freezing cold objects, the rain freezes causing the objects to be covered with a coat of ice.
According to the forecasters winter weather is pretty much over for us. Daytime temperatures will stay around forty degrees Fahrenheit (4.4º C) for the next couple of weeks. They have issued a flood warning. I do not live in a flood area so I shouldn’t have any problems.
I think everybody will be glad to see the snow melt away. According to the news, we didn’t receive any more snow this year than in a normal winter. The difference this year is we didn’t warm up enough between the storms for the snow to melt before the next storm came in. We received something like forty-eight inches (1.4 meters) of snow this winter.
8 people like this
10 responses
@PatZAnthony (14752)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
9 Feb 17
Oh, that does not look like something I want to see in person! Yikes, it just looks so cold. Glad to hear this might be the end of your winter.
2 people like this
@much2say (53958)
• Los Angeles, California
12 Feb 17
@RichardMeister Cool! But I'd have to wait a pretty long time if I have to wait til it's colder than 40º . . . I missed my chance a couple months back, in the evening anyway.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
12 Feb 17
@much2say I say 40º because if it is warmer your spoon would probably warm up too fast for the rain to freeze on it.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
11 Feb 17
No, freezing rain actually falls as rain. Once it lands on cold objects then it freezes. Here's an experiment. Put a big serving in your freezer. Then the next time it's 40º (or colder) and raining take the spoon out and hold it in the rain. The rain will freeze on the spoon until it warms up beyond the freezing point. You just created freezing rain.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (57944)
• Centralia, Washington
10 Feb 17
@RichardMeister Today its all sunshine and maybe even a Chinook! Love me some sun and warmth.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
11 Feb 17
@sallypup The sun is shining here both yesterday and today.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
10 Feb 17
Sorry to hear that.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325854)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Feb 17
I don't really understand freezing rain. Maybe it's what I know of as 'sleet' - rain that is really tiny ice particles. We have a severe weather warning here at the moment but all that means for us is perhaps strong winds and lots of rain. Nothing worse than that usually.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
10 Feb 17
No, sleet is something totally different. It's frozen as it falls. Freezing rain is rain until it lands on an object that is below freezing. Then the rain turns to ice. Sleet will feel like tiny ice particles but if you hold your hand out to catch freezing rain it will feel like rain because it is rain. I don't think you get cold enough there to see freezing rain. I suppose you could experiment by putting something like large serving spoon in the freezer then on a cold rainy day take it outside and hold it in the rain. The rain will probably freeze on the spoon until the spoon warms up.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325854)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Feb 17
@RichardMeister Now you've explained it like that (thanks) I don't believe we do get freezing rain.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
10 Feb 17
I feel so cold just looking at that photo. It's been a cold winter for you in the Pacific Northwest.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
10 Feb 17
Yes, this has been a long winter.
1 person likes this
@luisadannointed (4171)
• Philippines
9 Feb 17
Just be careful in walking around or drive safely on an icy road. God bless and don't catch any colds.
1 person likes this
@Morleyhunt (21737)
• Canada
14 Feb 17
We have not had a lot of snow this winter...now rain...that we've seen plenty of. Yesterday we had a couple if hours of freezing rain, but between warmer temperatures and wind it's gone again.
1 person likes this
