Industrial snow: what is this phenomenon that has covered certain towns in the Oise with a white coat?

A white mantle covered certain communes of theOise this Tuesday, January 21. This snow said industrial snow owes everything to pollution air. Explanations.

In Beauvais, this industrial snow covered sidewalks and roads. As evidenced by these photos shared on social networks. We discover the city under a white coat. It is also not the only town in Oise affected by this phenomenon.

Traffic disrupted in Beauvais

The phenomenon was not without consequences in the prefectural city. In a press release, the City acknowledges having been taken by surprise by this snowy episode. “Due to the lack of prior weather warning, the teams were not able to salt the roads before the onset of this bad weather.” After apologies to Beauvais residents, the City continues: “We remain attentive to the evolution of the situation and are implementing all necessary measures to minimize the impacts on public safety and the mobility of residents.”

On his social networks, the mayor of Beauvais Franck Pia reports that several road accidents have occurred in his city due to bad weather conditions.

In the east of the department, the town of Ribécourt-Dreslincourt was also affected.

How is industrial snow formed?

But what is the origin of this phenomenon? This industrial snow forms as soon as certain weather conditions are met. The fine particles resulting from human activities then play the role of condensation nuclei around which the water vapor agglomerates, thus forming snowflakes. However, this phenomenon remains rare.