Many states in the southern United States will experience freezing rain over the weekend. How did this extreme weather form?

The winter storm plaguing the United States is hitting the southern United States again. Texas, Oklahoma and other states are experiencing blizzards and freezing rain. So how does this extreme weather form?

Freezing rain is a precipitation phenomenon produced under a specific weather background. In layman's terms, freezing rain means rain that freezes into ice immediately when it falls on the ground and attached objects. That is to say, it is rain when it is in the sky, but it condenses into ice when it falls. When strong cold air moves southward and encounters warm and humid air, the cold air is inserted below the warm air like a wedge. The temperature near the ground drops sharply below zero, and the moist warm air is lifted up and turns into clouds and rain. Freezing rain is supercooled raindrops or drizzle falling on the ground where the temperature is below freezing point. The water droplets quickly freeze on the ground and objects to form a transparent or translucent ice layer. If it encounters drizzle, granules will appear. The surface of the granules is rough and the granular structure is clearly identifiable. If it encounters larger raindrops or the rainfall intensity is high, clear ice will often form. The surface of the clear ice will be smooth, transparent and dense, and often appear in the air. Electric wires, tree branches, or ships freeze as they flow, forming long strands of ice.

Freezing Rain Hazards

When freezing rain occurs, the wind is often stronger, so freezing rain has a greater impact on transportation, especially communications and transmission lines. After the wires freeze, they shrink when exposed to cold, and under the influence of the weight of freezing rain, they will break. At times, rows of power poles were pulled down, disrupting telecommunications and power transmission. Road traffic has been hampered by icy ground and traffic accidents have increased. Severe freezing rain can collapse houses. When an airplane flies in clouds with supercooled water droplets, water will accumulate on the wings and propellers, affecting the aerodynamic performance of the airplane and causing a crash.

How to protect yourself in freezing rain weather

First of all, it is very cold in freezing rain weather, so you should keep warm. In addition to wearing a down jacket, you should also pay attention to wind, rain and snow. It's best to wear a cotton hat. The head is most susceptible to wind infections. At the same time, keeping the legs and feet warm is also the most important. Because the blood circulation in the lower body of the human body is slow, I believe everyone feels this when sleeping at night. The legs and feet are the most difficult to keep warm. Therefore, cotton pants and cotton shoes are very important, and at the same time, attention should be paid to preventing rain and snow from entering the pants and shoes.

Secondly, freezing rain weather is accompanied by icy and slippery roads. It is best for the elderly not to go out. If you need to buy anything, you can let your children do it for you. Pedestrians should be careful when going out and wear non-slip shoes. If you don't have special anti-slip shoes, you can tie something on the sole to increase friction. Don't rush, go out in advance if you have something to do, walk slowly, safety first. If you accidentally fall, pay attention to protect your head, tail vertebra and other parts to minimize accident injuries. In addition, driving a motorcycle or riding a bicycle is a very unwise choice, as the chance of falling is greater.