Jump to content
  • Member Statistics

    18,389
    Total Members
    7,904
    Most Online
    Kabraxis
    Newest Member
    Kabraxis
    Joined

The Monday wintry event potential (12/8/25)


GaWx
 Share

Recommended Posts

10 minutes ago, Stebaney said:

Can someone explaining freezing fog to me? I’ve been on this forum for 15 years and have never read about it. How is it similar to freezing rain? How/why does it occur?

It’s very rare around here, which made last night so interesting but like normal fog, you have to have high humidity and that saturated air super cools into droplets. Those droplets then freeze on surface objects like freezing rain, but the main difference being that these droplets are tiny - much smaller. Think steam in a bathroom after a shower vs the water coming out of the shower itself - similar concept. It’s a lot more common in coastal communities that get cold: i.e. New England, Seattle.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Freezing fog is not really a meteorological term, Pearson said. In order for it to form you need items or an object near the surface to be below freezing temperature, he said. This could include, trees, power lines and power poles, fences, tall weeds or cars. The air above the ground has supercooled water droplets in it, that might be just below freezing but are still in liquid form. 

Once those droplets come in contact with something at the ground or just above the ground freeze on contact with the surface of that object, Pearson said. Most often, freezing fog does accumulate on trees and power lines and if the wind is calm or maybe even light, can make a very picturesque scene as the supercooled water droplets turn into ice crystals (also called rime ice).  If there is some wind, then the water droplets will just form more as a hard layer of ice vs the more crystalized picturesque rime ice.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It’s very rare around here, which made last night so interesting but like normal fog, you have to have high humidity and that saturated air super cools into droplets. Those droplets then freeze on surface objects like freezing rain, but the main difference being that these droplets are tiny - much smaller. Think steam in a bathroom after a shower vs the water coming out of the shower itself - similar concept. It’s a lot more common in coastal communities that get cold: i.e. New England, Seattle.

Thanks. I asked google but prefer asking an educated person, not AI. I just received a weather alert for freezing fog in the morning and didn’t understand. I’m in Raleigh.
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...