Ice storm

An ice storm is a storm of freezing rain, a form of precipitation composed of rain that turns to ice on contact with the ground. It typically occurs when the ground is cold but the air is warm enough for rain. When significant amounts of ice accumulates, the ice storm can have severe results including damaging trees, dwellings, and high-tension cables.

Recent Ice Storms

In 1991, a severe ice storm hit the city of Rochester, New York. The ice storm put almost all residents out of power and almost all trees lost limbs.

A severe ice storm in January 1998 struck a large region of southeastern Ontario, southwestern Quebec, and upstate New York. Montreal was especially hard hit, with large areas of the city being deprived of power for a week or more. A third of the trees in Mount Royal Park had to be felled, and forests, and in particular the economically important production of maple sugar in the region, were devastated. This storm was blamed on El Niño.