Rich wrote:

It seems the mid west is in the grip of an ice storm :-


http://www.cnn.com/2007/WEATHER/01/1...rss_topstories

I recall a similar event in the UK when large icicles were dropping like
spears from buildings and powerlines. Anyone know how frequently this
event occurs in the UK ?

Rich
http://www.richdavies.com/weather.htm

I can remember at least three winters in the sixties when this occurred.
1961-2 was the most unusual as it occurred on a cold front. It was near the
turn of the year. Winds were mostly from the northeast throughout. We had
heavy snow on the Friday - probably up to 6" - which turned to rain
overnight and Saturday dawned damp and drizzly with all the snow gone. In
the afternoon steady rain set in and the temperature dropped. All surfaces,
apart from the ground, became ice-covered. By tea-time, ice began to form
on the roads and paths. Next morning, it was snowing heavily again.

1962-3 winter had a few short-lived occurrences of freezing rain during the
early part of the winter. In January there were occurrences of freezing
drizzle and at least one of freezing rain. At Wyton late one evening, a
thaw set in and the ice started dropping from the trees. A few hours later
the noise stopped as the freeze set in again.

The next I remember was in 1965-6 in Bracknell. Cars, which were barely
moving above walking pace, kept sliding gently with the camber of the road
into the gutter. Walking wasn't much fun either.

The worst I remember for walking occurred in the fifties when the freezing
rain overnight had been mixed with a short spell of snow or hail. The
footpaths had white blobs about half-inch apart which were covered with ice
so that the surface was bumpy and shoes only made contact with the tops of
these small bumps. Very slippery!

I recall one occasion in the mid-seventies and another in the eighties but
none since. This could either be due to global warming or some sort of
short-term memory-loss.

Graham

--
Graham Davis
Bracknell