Several states in the southern United States will face freezing rain over the weekend. How is this extreme weather formed?

The winter snowstorm that plagued the United States once again hit the southern United States. States such as Texas and Oklahoma are experiencing snowstorms and freezing rain. So how did this extreme weather form?

Freezing rain is a precipitation phenomenon under a specific weather background. Generally speaking, freezing rain means that when it falls to the ground and attached objects, it immediately freezes into ice, that is to say, it rains in the sky, but it condenses into ice when it falls. When the strong cold air meets the southbound warm and humid airflow, the cold air is inserted under the warm air like a wedge, and the near-surface temperature drops below zero, and the humid warm air is lifted to form clouds, causing rainfall. Freezing rain is a transparent or translucent ice layer formed by supercooled raindrops or Mao Mao rain whose temperature is lower than freezing point, and the water drops quickly freeze on the ground and objects. If it rains in Mao Mao, particles will appear with rough surface and clear particle structure. In case of heavy rain or heavy rainfall intensity, clear ice mounds often form. The surface of the ice clearing mound is smooth, transparent and dense, and it often freezes when flowing on wires, branches or ships, forming long ice hangings.

Freezing rain hazard

When freezing rain happens, the wind is often strong, so freezing rain has a great influence on transportation, especially communication and transmission lines. After the wire freezes, it will shrink when it is cold, and it will break under the influence of the weight of freezing rain. Sometimes, rows of telephone poles are knocked down, resulting in interruption of telecommunications and transmission. Highway traffic is blocked by ground icing, and traffic accidents increase accordingly. Severe freezing rain will cause houses to collapse, and when the plane flies in the clouds with supercooled water droplets, water will accumulate in the wings and propellers, which will affect the aerodynamic performance of the plane and cause the plane to crash.

How to protect yourself in freezing rain?

First of all, freezing rain is very cold, so we should pay attention to keep warm. In addition to wearing down jackets, you should also pay attention to wind, rain and snow. You'd better wear a cotton hat. The head is most susceptible to infection and wind. At the same time, keeping your legs and feet warm is also the most important thing, because people's lower body blood circulation is relatively slow. I believe that everyone feels when sleeping at night, and legs and feet are the most difficult to keep warm. Therefore, cotton trousers and shoes are very important, and attention should be paid to prevent rain and snow from entering the trousers and shoes.

Secondly, the freezing rain is accompanied by the freezing of the road surface, and the road is slippery. Old people had better not go out. They need to buy things for their children and let them do it for them. Pedestrians should be careful when going out, wear non-slip shoes, and there is no special non-slip shoes to tie something on the sole that can increase friction. Don't worry, you can go out early if you have something to do, and walk slowly, safety first. If you accidentally fall, pay attention to protect the head, coccyx and other parts to minimize accidental injuries. In addition, driving a motorcycle and riding a bike are very unwise choices, and the chances of falling are greater.