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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
500 AM EST WED DEC 7 2005

...FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET AND THEIR IMPACTS...

FREEZING RAIN IS RAIN THAT FALLS ONTO A SURFACE WITH A TEMPERATURE
AT OR BELOW FREEZING. THIS CAUSES THE RAIN TO FREEZE ON SURFACES
SUCH AS TREES...CARS...ROADS...AND POWER LINES...FORMING A COATING
OR GLAZE OF ICE. EVEN SMALL ACCUMULATIONS OF ICE CAN CAUSE A
SIGNIFICANT HAZARD. SOME OF THE HAZARDS INCLUDE POWER LINES SNAPPING
UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE ICE AND NUMEROUS AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS DUE TO
THE COAT OF ICE THAT DEVELOPS ON ROAD SURFACES.

SLEET IS RAIN THAT FREEZES INTO ICE PELLETS BEFORE REACHING THE
GROUND. SLEET USUALLY BOUNCES WHEN HITTING A SURFACE AND DOES NOT
STICK TO OBJECTS. HOWEVER...IT CAN ACCUMULATE LIKE SNOW AND BECOME A
HAZARD TO MOTORISTS.

IN SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND SOUTH COASTAL SOUTH CAROLINA...THE
FOLLOWING THRESHOLDS ARE USED TO DETERMINE ADVISORIES...WATCHES...
AND WARNINGS:

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR FREEZING RAIN IS ISSUED WHENEVER
THERE IS ANY ACCRETION ON ROADS...SIDEWALKS...OR OTHER SURFACES.

A WINTER STORM WATCH FOR FREEZING RAIN IS ISSUED WHENEVER ONE
QUARTER INCH OR MORE OF ICE IS POSSIBLE. 

AN ICE STORM WARNING IS ISSUED WHENEVER FREEZING RAIN IS OCCURRING OR
IS IMMINENT AND ONE QUARTER INCH OR MORE ICE ACCRETION IS EXPECTED.
IF SNOW AND SLEET ARE EXPECTED TO MIX WITH THE FREEZING RAIN...A WINTER
STORM WARNING WILL BE ISSUED.

MOTORISTS SHOULD ALWAYS DRIVE WITH EXTREME CAUTION ANYTIME
FREEZING RAIN OR SLEET IS OCCURRING.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WINTER WEATHER...CONTACT THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE OR YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY.

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