Winter Weather PNS 4

Public Information Statement 
National Weather Service New York NY 
600 AM EDT Wed Oct 30 2024

...THIS WEEK IS WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS WEEK...

Please join the National Weather Service in promoting winter weather 
education including safety. 

The topic for today is ice storms.

Freezing rain is liquid rain that falls when surface temperatures 
are at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The rain freezes upon impact 
with objects and the ground, creating a layer of ice. When the layer 
of ice accumulates to at least one half inch thick on radial 
surfaces, the weight of the ice can down tree limbs, power lines and 
communication towers, and cause widespread impacts. This defines an 
ice storm. 

Even just a trace of freezing rain can produce a thin layer of ice 
on roads, which can cause significant impact to mass transit, 
especially if it occurs during rush hour. 

Although ice storms occur more frequently from northern New Jersey 
across the Lower Hudson Valley and interior southwest 
Connecticut, they can occur along the coast. 

On January 18th 2015, up only a trace to a couple tenths of an inch 
of ice fell across the area resulting in widespread ice covered 
roads, bridges, and walkways leading to hundreds of slip and 
fall and traffic accidents. This was a result of several days of sub-
freezing temperatures, followed by a rapid warm up as a warm front 
approached from the south. Even as air temperatures rose above 
freezing, very cold ground temperatures still allowed rain to freeze 
on contact with roads and walkways. 

On February 1st and 2nd of 2011, between one quarter and three 
quarters of an inch of ice fell across Long Island, the New York 
City and New Jersey metro area, southern portions of the Lower 
Hudson valley and southern Connecticut. Several roof collapses were 
caused by the weight of the ice on top of already snow covered 
roofs, while many tree limbs and power lines were downed, causing 
numerous power outages. Ice covered roads also led to numerous 
traffic accidents. 

The next statement around 6 am Thursday will cover winter floods. 

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