Freezing Rain

              FREEZING RAIN

   Freezing Rain forms when snow falls into a band of warmer air, the snow melts to form raindrops. If the air is below freezing, the raindrops cool along with the temperature (below freezing), but they will not freeze until they reach the ground.
   Freezing Rain coats everything in a sheet of ice, causing plants to die or be damaged and roads dangerous.
   

   During an intense freezing rain storm, trees can be painted with a thick coat of ice. The extra weight can sometimes be to much for the branches to bare, damaging the tree badly. 

   Freezing rain is the most common in the North East, the Upper Mid-West, the Columbia River Valley, and along the Mid Atlantic foothills of the Appalachians. The reason for freezing rain to here is because these are areas were cold air sinks or can be trapped at the surface. Meaning, warmer air moves above the cold arir to form the warm layer the snow passes through.