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ICE FOG AND FREEZING FOG

METEOROLOGIST JEFF HABY

Ice fog and freezing fog sound similar but they have an important difference. Ice fog is composed of small ice particles. It occurs at very cold temperatures that are typically well below freezing. Often fog will be in the liquid phase even when temperatures are below freezing (called supercooled). At cold enough temperatures the supercooled fog droplets will freeze into tiny ice crystals. Ice fog can be experienced within a very frigid air mass.

Freezing fog is similar to freezing drizzle and freezing rain in that it freezes on contact with a surface. Freezing fog is in the supercooled liquid state while in the air but then freezes when it contacts an object that is below freezing. Freezing fog can make for dangerous travel conditions due to the slick layer of ice it can produce on a surface.