Falling out of the clouds at negative air temperatures (most often 0 ... -10 °, sometimes up to -15 °) in the form of transparent ice balls with a diameter of 1-3 mm. There is unfrozen water inside the balls - falling on objects, the balls break into shells, water flows out and ice forms.
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Notes
Links
- Weather review from 12/26/2010
- (Russian). IA "Meteonovosti" (December 12, 2013). Retrieved December 12, 2013.
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An excerpt characterizing Freezing Rain
Princess Mary interrupted him.“Oh, that would be so awful…” she began, and without finishing from excitement, with a graceful movement (like everything she did in his presence), bowing her head and looking gratefully at him, she went after her aunt.
On the evening of that day, Nikolai did not go anywhere to visit and stayed at home in order to settle some accounts with the horse sellers. When he finished his business, it was already late to go somewhere, but it was still early to go to bed, and Nikolai walked up and down the room alone for a long time, pondering his life, which rarely happened to him.
Princess Mary made a good impression on him near Smolensk. The fact that he met her then in such special circumstances, and the fact that it was her that his mother pointed out to him at one time as a rich party, made him pay special attention to her. In Voronezh, during his visit, the impression was not only pleasant, but strong. Nikolai was struck by the special, moral beauty that he noticed in her this time. However, he was about to leave, and it never occurred to him to regret that, leaving Voronezh, he was deprived of the opportunity to see the princess. But the current meeting with Princess Mary in the church (Nikolai felt this) sank deeper into his heart than he foresaw it, and deeper than he wished for his peace of mind. This pale, thin, sad face, this radiant look, these quiet, graceful movements, and most importantly, this deep and tender sadness, expressed in all her features, disturbed him and demanded his participation. In men, Rostov could not stand to see the expression of a higher, spiritual life (that's why he did not like Prince Andrei), he contemptuously called it philosophy, daydreaming; but in Princess Mary, it was in this sadness, which showed the whole depth of this spiritual world alien to Nicholas, that he felt an irresistible attraction.
“A wonderful girl must be! That's the angel! he said to himself. “Why am I not free, why did I hurry with Sonya?” And involuntarily he imagined a comparison between the two: poverty in one and wealth in the other of those spiritual gifts that Nicholas did not have and which therefore he valued so highly. He tried to imagine what it would be like if he were free. How would he propose to her and she would become his wife? No, he couldn't imagine it. He felt terrified, and no clear images presented themselves to him. With Sonya, he had long ago formed a future picture for himself, and all this was simple and clear, precisely because it was all invented, and he knew everything that was in Sonya; but with Princess Mary it was impossible to imagine a future life, because he did not understand her, but only loved her.
Freezing rain is a rare natural phenomenon in Moscow; these are atmospheric precipitation falling from clouds at negative air temperatures (most often 0 ... -10 °, sometimes up to -15 °) in the form of transparent ice balls with a diameter of 1-3 mm. There is unfrozen water inside the balls - falling on objects, the balls break into shells, water flows out and ice forms.
But this phenomenon was experienced in December 2010 by all residents of Moscow.
On December 25-26, 2010, freezing rain fell in Moscow, the Moscow region and a number of neighboring regions in the zone of two parallel warm fronts. An ice crust up to 20 mm thick, in places up to 50 mm thick, covered roads, sidewalks, tree branches, wires, cars parked on the street, etc. In the following days, the situation was aggravated by the accumulation of wet snow on icy surfaces, resulting in the formation of so-called "complex deposits". The absence of thaws and strong winds caused the preservation of ice and snow-ice deposits over the next few weeks (in the Moscow region until 01/19/2011).
Many Muscovites faced problems that were the result of this natural phenomenon: people could not open their cars because they were under a layer of ice; trees turned into ice statues; it was very difficult for people to walk on the sidewalks, and for vehicles to drive on the roads - everything was covered with ice.
The consequences were, unfortunately, sad: more than 12,000 trees were felled in Moscow alone. Falling trees damaged and cut power lines. Life support facilities, hospitals turned out to be de-energized, there were interruptions in the operation of airports, railway and road transport, urban electric transport, fixed and cellular communications. The transport situation in Moscow and the Moscow suburbs was close to catastrophic: long-distance trains, suburban electric trains, Aeroexpress trains to Moscow airports moved with long delays, and there were interruptions in the movement of metro trains. Due to a break in the wires of the main and backup power lines, Domodedovo Airport stopped its work for several days, and due to the lack of anti-icing fluid for handling aircraft, Sheremetyevo Airport. Falling trees and branches damaged many cars, hundreds of people were injured, and there were casualties.
I remember very well one of the icy days: I went with my parents to the Christmas tree in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. It was almost impossible to walk, the road was so slippery. It was a real ice rink; the ice shone like a mirror, and it seemed that even on skates it would be impossible to move, it was so slippery. Many people simply stood in confusion, and then barely reached the nearest fence, also covered with a thin layer of ice, and, holding on to it, walked forward. So did we.
In Moscow, the icing lasted up to 17 days, and its maximum thickness was 10-11 mm.
But it was also unusually beautiful! I never again saw roads, road signs, trees, cars, shops, monuments of my beloved city covered with ice. The whole city was covered in ice! It seemed that only people managed to "survive" after the ice disaster.
And this photo was taken on the very day that I still remember and that I still wonder about!
Do you know what freezing rain is?
Let's figure out what it is, how it affects the current activities of the facility and what priority measures need to be taken to minimize the negative consequences.
In November 2016, bad weather paid a visit to the central part of Russia. As it always happens, on an unexpected scale.
Ice drops falling from the sky in 20-30 minutes covered everything around with a crust of ice - asphalt, paving stones, steps, peaks, handrails of stairs. At the exits from underground parking, mirrors froze, dome cameras “blinded” ....
The culprit of all this fun is freezing rain, atmospheric precipitation falling from the clouds during a temperature inversion, i.e. in a situation where there is cold air near the ground, and above it a layer of warmer air with a positive temperature. The phenomenon is observed relatively rarely, but, unfortunately, brings a certain amount of trouble.
It is necessary to treat forecasts of weather forecasters about the possibility of precipitation in the form of freezing rain as responsibly as possible. If the forecasts come true, and the services are not ready, your facility will become a place where it will become completely impossible to move around the territory, people with a 90% probability will be injured as a result of falls on the ice; vehicles on the territory may well be damaged by fallen trees, and Tenants with a clear conscience will photograph the apocalypse that has arisen and post comments in social networks with various and impartial comments .... Then you can just turn on the imagination a little.
To minimize the effects of freezing rain, prepare yourself for it in advance and train your staff. I have already written that the supply of anti-icing preparations in the winter period should always be at the facility. This is an axiom that does not require proof. It is very important that cleaning staff be prepared for this weather event. People should clearly know who, what, and in what sequence does: how, in what proportions and in what volume to prepare a mixture of anti-icing reagents, in what quantities the mixture should be applied, where in the first place, and where in the last; when it is necessary to start collecting the melted mass and, of course, people should have a clear idea of the criteria for the final result. All of the above should be understood as a guide to action. Treat your staff in freezing rain like you would standard procedure. Formulate and implement it, train staff. Instruct the cleaning (cleaning) service - the coherence of actions at “hour x” is guaranteed.
Be prudent yourself - warn the Tenants of the complex in advance using. Report that worsening weather is expected; explain that it is necessary to be careful on the territory and in the halls of buildings; inform that the Management Company will accept all necessary measures for timely cleaning of the territory from ice and snow masses. Recommend Tenants not to park personal vehicles under trees. Ask Tenants to treat the situation with understanding. In these, at first glance, trifles lies the very essence of quality services. Do this and you will be pleased with the result.
At the first sign of freezing rain, immediately begin processing the area. Platforms in front of the entrances to buildings, pedestrian paths in the territory, especially ascents and descents; stairs, smoking areas, bus stops, escape routes (street part) should be treated first.
With regard to chemicals, I note that much here depends on the requirements for the condition of the coatings in the territory and, of course, entirely depends on the budget. In my opinion, the most effective is the joint use of the following materials:
- granite crumb fr. 2-5 mm;
- technical salt (concentrate-halite);
- ICEMELT (compacted calcium chloride);
- anti-icing agent ICEHIT MAGNUM (Bishofite-Magnesium Chloride, corrosion inhibitor)
In a freezing rain situation, it is most effective to use a mixture prepared in the following proportion:
- Reagent - 2 denominations (2 * 25 kg)
- Salt - 1 face value (20-25 kg)
- Granite chips - 1 face value (25 kg)
The three above components will work together as follows: the reagent will melt the ice in the shortest possible time to the state of a moving mass; salt will not allow this mass to harden for a relatively long time; granite chips will significantly increase the frictional properties of the surface.
Where to prepare such a mixture? Be smart. The easiest option is to use the bucket of a large front loader or the bucket of a small wheeled loader (Bobcat). We pour the materials into the bucket, approximately observing the proportions, mix with an ordinary shovel - the mixture is ready. Next, we quickly load the mixture into construction cars (I hope you have them), load the mixture into them and send personnel (janitors) along predetermined routes.
Please note that the mass melted with such a mixture retains mobility for 2, maximum 2.5 hours. If you don’t have time to remove it, you will get “permafrost”, which will be much more difficult to deal with.
Attention must be paid to the trees growing on the territory. A serious visual inspection after the end of the freezing rain is a must. If you find broken branches or broken tree tops, promptly call an aerial platform and involve certified specialists to perform pruning work. Please note that the sections must be applied with special preparations for healing wounds on trees - "Artificial bark". After application, the agent forms a powerful protective film, which is perfectly tolerated by the plant and perfectly adheres to wood, provides protection against diseases and pests. As a last resort, in the absence of a specialized preparation, use ordinary oil paint, as a temporary solution, paint is quite suitable. Most importantly, do not forget to plan activities for the spring for a comprehensive inspection of trees and protective treatment of wounds using a special balm, such as Etisso.
Last updated 02/08/2016
On Tuesday, February 9, freezing rain is expected in Moscow. This was reported by forecasters of the weather center "Phobos"
“This week will be marked by a lot of freezing rain. Precipitation will be of an insignificant, weak character, but it will be characterized by a periodic transition from a mixed phase to a freezing rain phase. Moreover, it can be on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and especially strong - on Sunday evening, turning into Monday night, ”the forecaster of the center said.
What is freezing rain?
Freezing rain - atmospheric phenomenon, which occurs due to the temperature difference at the height of the passage of the rain front and at the surface of the earth. It refers to the so-called "oversized" precipitation, which falls out monotonously over a fairly long period of time.
Everything happens like this: below, above the surface of the earth, there is cold air (ice rain traditionally falls at a temperature of -1 to -15 degrees Celsius), and above it is a layer of warmer air. Raindrops, approaching the ground, freeze very quickly - but only outside. It turns out that freezing rain consists of solid transparent balls of ice, inside of which unfrozen water remains.
When falling, the balls break, the liquid pours out and quickly freezes, forming ice on the asphalt and an ice crust on other surfaces (on tree branches, roofs of houses, cars, etc.).
Note! In the science of weather there is also such a thing as “rain showers” - but, unlike prolonged freezing rain, it refers to heavy rainfall, characterized by a sudden onset and a sharp change in intensity. It happens at positive temperatures and is dangerous because it sharply worsens visibility.
Rain, frost. Individually, these words are simply weather phenomena. But when they happen at the same time ... Everything is covered with a layer of ice and life stops.
Can stop life in vast areas. Entire cities can go days and weeks without electricity and slowly freeze. And people have nothing left to do but watch the amazingly beautiful ice landscapes.
One such ice storm occurred in Quebec, Canada in 1998. More than 50 high-voltage power transmission towers collapsed due to the weight of the ice.
About 1.7 million people were left without electricity. In some cases, people spent without light for 6 weeks. It was the most destructive disaster in Canadian history
Fields where grass grows turn into icy seas.
This is what an electrical wire looks like under a 5 cm layer of ice
And the car can't be filled.
And this is what the ice storm left behind in Switzerland
An even more fun version of an ice storm is ice flood as happened in Newfoundland in 2003. First, the river overflowed its banks and flooded the entire district. Then the water froze. The ice that covered the cars in Switzerland melted quickly, but these cars spent several months in the ice.
Snow disaster cleanup can also cause some inconvenience
The sailors get it too. In especially severe cases, ships simply sink
Here's a frozen waterfall
Is it possible to save yourself from freezing rain?
The freezing rain that hit Central Russia on December 26 has already been called a rare weather event.
It can be expected that for many officials this will become an excuse to justify their inaction, although in general this failure could well have been avoided: the phenomenon is sufficiently studied and regularly repeated. In Canada and the USA, on the east coast due to special geographical and climatic conditions it is repeated more often, but still there is no reason for us to shrug our shoulders: such strikes of the elements occur regularly. For example, after a freezing rain in Leningrad on March 9, 1981, a natural disaster of a regional scale occurred.
In fact, there are two phenomena that are mirror images of each other: “freezing rain” and “black ice”. The first is the curse of power engineers and aviators, the second is the nightmare of car drivers and pedestrians.
What is "freezing rain"? This is a rain of water, the temperature of which dropped below zero, but it did not have time to freeze, turn into ice. These are miniature ice balls, inside of which there is a drop of such water. When they hit the ground, wires, tree branches, they split with a characteristic crack and the water instantly freezes.
For this to happen, you need a negative temperature near the surface of the earth, and above - a positive one. The whole game goes around the zero mark, and therefore, weather forecasters cannot say that it will definitely be freezing rain: it can just rain with snow, or maybe just snow pellets.
At first, this crust is almost invisible. But soon it begins to manifest itself: a strong fractional sound is heard on the windshield, the roof and hood of the car, on the window glass. In the car, the wipers stop working and it is rapidly covered with a translucent ice film. For a while, the winter washer helps, but it soon ends, and it becomes completely impossible to drive. Well, when you try to get out of the car, you feel like a cow on ice.
Further - worse. You can park your car, but what about power lines? Dozens of kilograms of ice per linear meter of wires tear them like threads. But most insidious of all this phenomenon is manifested on the hulls of aircraft.
I remember a terrible story that happened on February 6, 1958 with the plane of the British airline British European Airlines - BEA. An Airspeed Ambassador aircraft was preparing to take off from Munich Airport. The Manchester United football team was on board. The British were preparing to fly home, but the plane was icy and, in addition, it was necessary to clean the runway, because after the freezing rain came sleet.
Twice the commander of the ship, James Thain, took the plane to the runway, and both times canceled the takeoff due to engine vibration. He had no idea that the fuselage of the plane and the planes were covered with a crust of ice, making the car heavier. And when he went to acceleration on the third attempt, the mass of the aircraft was several tons more. The pilots felt that the plane was accelerating poorly, but still they managed to get close to the take-off speed, and then their car began to slow down: it entered the part of the runway that was not cleared of snow. As a result, the plane flew off the runway at a speed of more than 150 kilometers per hour and crashed into a house. 21 out of 44 people died instantly. The Manchester United team has practically ceased to exist.
The football club then decided that white, black and red - symbols of snow, burning and blood - would remain their signature colors forever. Well, BEA and Munich Airport started a lawsuit, figuring out what was the root cause of the disaster. Only after many years of deliberations did it become clear that the ice itself could not be the cause of the disaster, but could contribute to it. Snow slush on the runway was the second critical factor. Of course, planes have fallen from icing before, but this case with the famous team caused a huge resonance. Since then, flight directors and aircraft commanders themselves do not risk taking off in such conditions: the life of passengers is more expensive.
The flip side of "freezing rain" is "black ice". If in the first case the case is in supercooled water, then in the second case the surface of the earth is supercooled. This often happens when, after a frost, a wave of warm weather suddenly comes. humid air. The moisture in the air (maybe even drizzle or light raindrops) starts to freeze. This phenomenon is much more common than freezing rain. And if for power lines and tree branches, as well as aircraft, it does not pose a particular danger (“the cold reserve” in them quickly ends, and the moisture ceases to freeze, and then melts itself), then on freeways it can cause numerous unexpected and often inexplicable car accidents.
Black ice patches on a freeway can appear anywhere. Not only that, black ice looks like a regular wet road in the headlights. The thermometer in the car will show a positive temperature, and quite significant: up to 4-6 degrees. When you get out of the car, you will not even believe that ice can form somewhere in such a warm atmosphere. It can melt just as quickly - and then the police will have to rack their brains: why did the driver suddenly jump out of his lane into the oncoming lane? Well, if he can tell himself about what happened ...
In Finland, where I am writing this post, both freezing rain and black ice are taken seriously and considered to be typical of our latitudes. According to Finnish meteorologists, from November to the end of March, you need to be prepared for such manifestations. Of course, most often this occurs in the transition zone from maritime to continental climate. In Russia, these are Karelia, Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Leningrad, Pskov, Novgorod regions, Primorye, Sakhalin, Kamchatka, Khabarovsk region. But taking into account climate change, the zone of sharp temperature jumps is moving further to the east and southeast. So Finnish lessons will, I think, not be superfluous.
For example, the onset of freezing rain can be predicted by the change in the sound of water drops hitting glass; a strange shine of tree branches appears in the light of lanterns or headlights, and the thermometer shows minus temperatures in the presence of rain. If you observe this, then the need to get flashlights and the cancellation of flights at airports is a matter of time. It is clear as daylight that soon the road will become extremely slippery, and there will be no visibility due to ice on the windshield. The process can develop quite quickly and lead to numerous accidents.
So that drivers do not get stuck on the road (more precisely, they do not freeze), the Finnish Meteorological Institute regularly publishes road hazard warnings on its website. Well, in order to see firsthand what is happening on the road, drivers turn to the website of the Finnish Road Administration, where you can look at the route through video cameras on the road. These frames provide not only a photograph (with an interval of 10-20 minutes), but also data on the temperature of the air, the road surface, the condition of the road surface (dry, icy, wet, etc.) and the presence of precipitation. Finnish road workers believe that installing simple video cameras with elementary sensors will quickly pay off: someone will definitely take this information into account, and there will be fewer accidents. They say that women drivers were the first to use this data: they are more concerned about what the weather is like where they are going, and how they should dress.
But it is even easier to inform drivers about problems in advance with the help of printed publications. The Finns distribute winter driving instructions, even in Russian, hoping that this will somehow help improve the situation on the roads. It is hoped that all this combined should make drivers, farmers, builders, fishermen - everyone who works outdoors - more environmentally aware.
As for the specific case in Moscow, at the capital's airports, massive flight cancellations happen in Northern Europe as well. And it all depends on the experience and elementary human qualities of employees and airline policies. A year ago, in the city of Tampere, Finland, due to snowfall, one airline simply washed its hands of it by refusing to take people to their destination on the eve of the holiday. Another airline took passengers to their destination in a roundabout way through Stockholm. The first one won financially. Reputational - the second. And my friends, who were flown at Christmas, now fly only on the planes of the second one. So attention to people is the best advertisement.
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