Winter manifestations of nature now affect the citizens insofar as they prevent them from getting to work or home. Based on this, many are confused in purely meteorological terms. It is unlikely that any of the residents of megacities will be able to answer the question of how ice differs from sleet. Meanwhile, understanding the difference between these terms will help people, after listening to (or reading) the weather forecast, better prepare for what awaits them outside in the winter.
Distinctive signs of ice
To begin with, meteorologists associate it with atmospheric precipitation such as rain, hail and snow. Although, of course, it is in the final version that ice does not “come” from the sky. It is an unpleasant accompaniment to other types of precipitation: fog, drizzle or rain - when the temperature outside the windowzero or slightly lower (up to minus three). However, stereotypes work: most people, in response to the question of how ice is different from sleet, will say that icy is on the ground, and people fall from it, and sleet is everything else. Which is fundamentally wrong. First of all, ice is accompanied by icing of branches of bushes and trees, wires and protruding parts of buildings. But most importantly, it lasts only when the precipitation that caused it (fog, for example) is present, and the ice crust formed by ice is very thin. Although, if the right weather lasts long, freezing can be significant; then power lines break and antennas, branches and trees break.
The good side of ice
Of course, this natural phenomenon is accompanied by unpleasant consequences for people and their property (communications, green spaces, etc.). But there is also a pleasant sign of how ice differs from icy. As already mentioned, it lasts exactly as long as precipitation falls. If they end quickly, the ice growth stops, and the thin layer of formed ice quickly melts. Another advantage of ice is that in its pure form it is extremely rare. Nevertheless, many conditions must coincide: winter and not snow, but rain or fog, the temperature is not lower than three degrees of frost. So a meeting with the consequences of this particular manifestation of the elements happens infrequently.
Black ice - what is it?
Because people are more interested in the condition of sidewalks and highways, thingsraised above the ground, they pay little attention. Is that the icicles are watched vigilantly: their fall can seriously harm he alth, and even interrupt life. In principle, both phenomena manifest themselves in almost the same way. The main difference between ice and ice is that the latter builds up an ice crust on compacted snow, most often after rain or a thaw, when a cold snap has struck. Most of the water in this process accumulates on the ground, and therefore antennas, branches, etc. are less burdened with weight. So we can point out a significant difference between icy and icy conditions, which is fundamental for citizens: in the second case, those who move on the ground suffer more and less – plantings and communications.
Sleet insidiousness
If the first mentioned phenomenon of nature has some advantages, then sleet - continuous disadvantages. Worst of all, precipitation is not necessary for its onset. Any city itself evaporates water. Moreover, pipe breaks are not uncommon in our area. This is where you begin to realize how important the reasons for which ice and sleet are formed are - the difference is simply amazing. The first phenomenon, however, needs precipitation. And the black ice will immediately take advantage of the opportunity that has turned up, and because the heat supply hatch is simply not tightly covered nearby, an unplanned skating rink appears nearby.
Moreover, the layer formed by icing lasts for an extremely long time - it does not depend on precipitation. The most common option - the ice is covered with fallen snow. In second place -another thaw (or spring). And in the event of an accidental warming, one can only hope that the crust will have time to melt before the next cold snap.
How to deal with it
Since both ice and ice appear approximately the same, the methods of dealing with them are also not very different from each other, and are mainly associated with overcoming the slipperiness of passers-by and road surfaces of the city. The main methods are sand, gravel, small construction waste, granite chips and s alt. It cannot be said that these are very effective methods. First of all, s alt corrodes the material from which shoes are made. Rubber boots and boots last the longest, but you can’t walk in them for a long time in the cold. Other materials often do not withstand even a month. Sand is not too good either: it often simply sinks into the resulting porridge when it thaws and contributes little to slip resistance.
Modern reagents are used in some (especially large) cities, but their effectiveness and safety are still questionable.
And the fight against the freezing of above-ground ice formations is still limited to the fact that icicles are knocked down with varying degrees of success by tired wipers. Yet people are trained to look more under their feet than at what hangs from above.
Unusual American Methods
And sleet and ice in recent years really worried the Americans. And the lack of proven methods of dealing with them greatly developed the imagination and ingenuity of the inhabitants of a distant continent. Yes, in Wisconsinthe tracks are watered with cheese brine - waste from the production of cheese. The smell is delicious, but intrusive, and pursues the traveler for many kilometers. But the wheels don't slip and the flavor becomes secondary.
Pennsylvania and New York also “s alt” the roads, but they add beet juice to the s alt (sugar is produced there). And there is no smell of cheese, and shoes are much less spoiled.
Ice or ice is not so important, the main thing is not to fall, and so that the car does not skid!
