It's All A Bit Of A Blur Really

I shudder whenever I hear the term freezing rain. I've lived through a few winters in this country but have only ever experienced it once. This might be because of the areas I've lived in, but I hear that weather forecasts of stating 'freezing rain to come' are quite rare.

Having heard FR suggested a couple of times by trepidacious weather forecasters last week, I felt it prudent to consult the One Man Crappola meteorological Department to obtain an overview of this terrifying phenomenon to better understand what it's all about. After all, if they keep talking about it, it will happen.

Apparently, freezing rain develops as falling snow encounters a layer of warm air deep enough for the snow to completely melt and become rain. As the rain continues to fall, it passes through a thin layer of cold air just above the surface and cools to a temperature below freezing. However, the drops themselves do not freeze, they 'supercool' into supercooled drops. When these supercooled drops strike the frozen ground (power lines, or tree branches), they instantly freeze, forming a thin film of ice.

Supercooled drops. I like the sound of them. How easily they could be the affectionate nick-name of an all-stars, dream team of basketball players, or an advertisers cream-dream idea light bulb moment of a freshy sounding name for a new mint. Or street slang argot for a fashionable drug to add to the druggie's, Innuit inspired hip-lexicon for icy, snowy, cracky, drug euphemisms.

Could it be I like freezing rain after all? The idea that they're supercool drops with more than a hint of menace? That they fall with innocuous speed like little splashy rain droplets instead of adopting the doom laden messenger of the blow-float flutter of its fat white cousin, the flake? And that they turn the paths and roads into new level slip territory capable of breaking arms and legs and sealing your car into a tungsten hard ice plastic mould that takes days to prise off?

No. I don't like freezing rain.