In the last months of the year you should always be careful of a slip-up. Motorists, cyclists and pedestrians experience inconvenience from a slippery road surface. But what exactly causes you to slip if you are careless? And what is the difference between ice, hoarfrost and sleet?
Around this time of year, warnings for slippery roads follow one another in succession. Winter slippery conditions occur when two things are met: the road surface must be colder than zero degrees and there must be sufficient moisture. The most noticeable slippery road is caused by snowfall. The beautiful white landscape reduces the grip of the tires on the road surface. And the more the snow is compressed, the more dangerous the situation, because an ice layer then forms.
In addition, black ice can also pose a risk of slipping. If the temperature of the ground is below freezing and rain falls on it, you will get a wafer-thin layer of freshly frozen raindrops on the road. That is why people sometimes speak of freezing rain. If the rain is already freezing in the air, it is no longer sleet, but ice rain. It can also freeze to the ground and make the roads slippery.
Hoarfrost does not require precipitation, just high humidity.
Martijn Peters
But precipitation can also make the road surface slippery with some delay. If puddles form during the day due to rain or thawing snow and it cools down at night due to broad clear spells, ice spots can form. And in addition to ice spots, there are also rhyme spots. This does not require precipitation, just high humidity. The small water droplets, from fog or mist for example, then freeze when they come into contact with the frozen ground. Unlike frost, hoarfrost is not transparent, but rather porous whitish.
Although winter is the ideal season for warnings about slippery conditions, this can also happen outside this period. Freezing temperatures can also occur in autumn and spring. And in the summer, slippery road surfaces also occur at warmer temperatures. Some people then have to deal with aquaplaning and summer slippery conditions. In the first phenomenon, a heavy shower causes a layer of water to form under the tires, causing the vehicle to lose grip on the road. The second occurs when intense rain follows a long dry period. The accumulation of dust particles, oil and rubber on the road then becomes a sticky, slippery layer that can sometimes cause a skid.
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