Exactly what makes up freezing rain is one of the questions many people draw a blank on. With most weather conditions, its easy to tell what’s going on just by looking out the window. Freezing rain is different; it looks a little like rain, a little like sleet and just a bit like snow.

Freezing rain falls to the earth as a liquid but passes through below-freezing air as it falls. This air lowers the temperature of the water, putting it in a state called ‘supercooled.’ Water held in this state doesn’t freeze like normal water; instead it stays as a liquid.

As soon as the drop hits any object the supercooled state is broken. This will cause the water to freeze nearly instantly, forming a thick layer of ice on anything it touches. These layers can form in seconds on any surface, making freezing rain extremely hazardous to drivers.

This rain will also freeze fast on your wipers, reducing visibility drastically in just a few moments. A great way to combat the buildup of ice on your wipers is through the use of Everblades^® heated windshield wipers. Each wiper contains a heating element in the blade and on the arm of the wiper, halting the buildup of dangerous ice.