How could rain have caused such problems on the highway and road network of Côte-d’Or this Saturday at the end of the afternoon, when pre-salting operations had been carried out during the day? ? Many of you are asking yourself this question.
Water that freezes instantly on contact with the ground
Well, it’s because of a phenomenon called “supercooled rain.” A phenomenon even more formidable than “traditional” freezing rain. The difference? The highway manager APRR explained it on its airwaves this Saturday and on its website in 2022.
We are talking about freezing rain when the rain that falls on the asphalt slowly freezes. This leaves time to avoid most slippery phenomena “by adding salt and treating the roads”.
As for supercooled rainit is rain which passes through a slice of air at negative temperatures but which remains liquid instead of transforming into snow. It then freezes instantly on contact with the ground. Instantly creating a gigantic ice rink. A phenomenon against which no preventive solution exists except to reduce its speed and stop as soon as possible while waiting for an improvement.
This is the situation that thousands of Côte-d’Oriens had to face this Saturday evening…
Belgium
