We got a bad winter surprise today when we woke up to heavy freezing rain this morning. Yuck.
Freezing rain is pretty unique to very cold countries. When surface temperatures are below freezing, raindrops freeze upon impact with any object they encounter. The resulting ice accumulates to a thickness of several centimeters and it coats just about anything.
It results in pretty dangerous weather conditions. Power lines and trees bend under the weight of the ice and can break. Streets are roads are extremely icy and slippery. And of course, you have the scrap the ice off cars left outside, like we did for ours.
Ice is quite beautiful: trees are glowing and funny icicles can be spotted everywhere. Still, I hope it melts pretty fast. I feel trapped at home!
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Beautiful pictures, Zhu! We were also surprised by the freezing rain… only problem is we were in the mountains!!! We were supposed to leave the complex where we were staying by 10:00 AM, but it took us an extra hour to get the ice out of the windshields and doors, and then load the minivan.
And then there was the whole business of leaving a complex that has a 500-meter long driveway that is downhill… 🙁
But we’re safe and sound, and I’m going to bed NOW!
.-= Gabriel´s last blog ..Christmas in Waterloo VII – Feliz Navidad =-.
You probably shouldn’t scrape your car’s body with the scraper-it’ll mess up the clear coat! I hate freezing rain too, I usually just let the car run then go out and scrape after everything is melted some. I know it’s not the most environmentally friendly thing to do…
I’ll take many feet of snow any day over freezing rain! yuck!
the ice is very pretty. but i am glad i am not there with you.
ice can be destructive. water melts or falls as rain, and it runs underneath the roadways. then it freezes again; you get big bumps in the pavement, what we call “frost heaves.” those finally break from all the cars driving over them and become potholes. big ugly potholes.
i guess i’s better than living in sand. but barely.
Oh, la pluie verglaçante….ce n’est pas drôle du tout. Courage, ma belle!
Pretty pictures like usual.
Can’t imagine how cold it is in Canada. I have experienced -18C here and feel like I’m turning into a giant icecube
.-= the writer´s last blog ..Red tape – the Norwegian way =-.
That is a lot of ice. We only got down to -3C here earlier this week. But now temperatures are back up and it’s 8C.
I do like a bit of snow, but ice is definitely annoying, even if just for a few days like we had here, so must be really annoying for you.
.-= Adem´s last blog ..Christmas Dinner =-.
I do agree with you; can be dangerous – but, ohhh so pretty and you have captured it so beautifully!
We still have the good old white Xmas condition in Oslo, Norway – even more snow than I reported from Xmas Eve. Now we are in mid Sweden and same nice scenery here.
.-= RennyBA’s Terella´s last blog ..Happy White Christmas from Oslo Norway =-.
You see, we don’t have that sort of rain over here.
They do look magical and photogenic!
Can you see the Northern lights in your town?
Deceptively beautiful. So dangerous.
I do hope that weather is not headed my way…
.-= Beth´s last blog ..Next on the Agenda… =-.
I am very familiar with the freezing rain phenomenon! In fact we had that same storm here on Christmas Day. I love the pictures you took. They really capture how absolutely everything becomes coated in ice.
.-= Soleil´s last blog ..There’s no place like home =-.
I don’t miss that from living in NY. It gives the whole world a magical look though. As long as you don’t have to travel, its amazing to look at!! Great photos.
.-= DianeCA´s last blog ..A differnt kind of Christmas =-.
Must be so annoying… but I agree, ice is beautiful, has a transcendent quality.
.-= Seb´s last blog ..Flower Bear. =-.
Absolutely beautiful, Zhu!
.-= Agnes´s last blog ..Sunday Dec 27 2009 =-.
@Gabriel – I can only imagine! I was so glad Ottawa is flat, at least I don’t slip too much 😆 Huge driveways are a big no-no in Canada.
@Rich B – You’re probably right but we needed the car and another one was in the garage. Freezing rain is definitely something we all dread!
@Seraphine – I think Canada is a pothole heaven. One of the road in Ottawa was said to be the worse road in Canada because it was dangerously bumpy.
@the writer – It wasn’t that cold actually, maybe -10C, -20C with the windchill?
@Bluefish – Non, pas cool du tout ! Je crois que Montréal a été épargnée.
@Adem – Ice is bad bad bad. Looks pretty but pain in the butt.
@RennyBA’s Terella – I take snow over ice anytime!
@London Caller – No, to see Northern Lights, you have to go North, really North. The most famous town to see them is probably Churchill, Manitoba.
@Beth – Toronto should be okay… lucky you!
@Soleil – Thank you! I wish I could have taken more pictures but the wind was brutal.
@DianeCA – That’s why I sacrifice myself: you can experience my cold and stay warm 😆
@Seb – Very annoying but beautiful. Like women, ya know 😆
It does look beautiful 🙂 though it may not be when you slip and fall down. 😉
.-= Nigel Babu´s last blog ..Pushing 150 kg =-.
Oh, freezing rain. I loved them, when I first saw them. I thought I was in Narnia. But then I realized what that meant when it comes to driving, and oh, I wished I had a heat blower.
.-= Linguist-in-Waiting´s last blog ..Book Review: The Five-Forty-Five to Cannes by Tess Uriza Holthe =-.
Salut Zhu,
Bonne année !! Meilleurs voeux venus du vieux pays.
Ice is an unique form to photograph; never the same and always here and then gone. Lovely photos; not so lovely to defrost the car windshield !!
I’m getting back on track. D, my hubby was on vacation & instead of overdoing the chocolates or champagne overdone internet. So… I declared it a break for me. Now, I’m catching up- for my greatest pleasure.
Cold in Paris too this morning; & piddly -5 degrees or lower, in Paris & burbs- nothing for you strong Canuks ! And the cold is here all week.
Bises