White Xmas - nearly 20th December 2006
Freezing fog creates 'snowy' feel
Hopes
of a white Christmas in Hereford have been dashed by experts who
said a "snow storm" was actually freezing fog.
People in the city woke up to a white covering with snow-like flakes
falling from the sky.
However, the local BBC weather expert Paul Damari said it was not
actually snow but a phenomenon where fog freezes causing deposits
of ice called rime.
"It is unusual to people and the first thing they say is 'it
is snowing' but strictly speaking it is not," he said.
People living in the city described falling particles and said it
was like a snow storm.
Mr Damari said: "It is the most picturesque setting.
It happens every now and then and it gets people excited because
we don't have much of it.
"It can feel like snow but it is more rime really which is
being deposited by this freezing fog."
