Industrial snow surprised Recklinghausen: Danger on the streets!

Industrial snow surprised Recklinghausen: Danger on the streets!

At the weekend, an unusual weather phenomenon in Recklinghausen and the surrounding area caused excitement: industrial snow. According to the reports of The weather was surprised by the predicted dry conditions, suddenly reported by snow, who did not natural precipitation had arisen.

industrial snow is born under special atmospheric conditions. It arises from the submission of water vapor and aerosols from industrial plants, especially in an inversion weather situation. This special weather situation occurs when the moisture content of the air rises so high that the water vapor condenses as a snow. This form of snow often falls from heights between 100 and 200 meters and is hardly recognizable for weather radars.

causes and conditions

industrial snow typically occurs in the morning hours and can cause dangerous streets. The DWD warned of the conditions that can lead to its education, such as stable high -pressure situations and strong inversions. In Frankfurt, too, there were similar phenomena during this winter season, where snow fell in the city center, while the surrounding suburbs stayed dry. Such weather conditions can often be observed in Central European climate zones from November to February, with high temperatures, which have to be below freezing.

industrial snow is an example of anthropogenic, locally limited weather influence. It often has a higher pollution pollution than natural snow and can be particularly fine -grained. This property means that it is liable to surfaces that would not be affected in natural snow. The chemical analyzes prove a significant tightening of the pollution in comparison to conventional snow.

damage and predicability

Another concern is the ambiguity of liability for damage caused by industrial snow, such as rear -end accidents or falls. Due to the bundled aerosols in the condensation germs, the industrial cause could be identified in the event of an incident. Nevertheless, it turns out that the prediction of such weather phenomena is a challenge, mainly due to its small space and the limited data on the emission sources.

In large metropolitan areas such as Vienna, Graz and Klagenfurt, despite the high pressure locations, it is not unusual for locally increased snow. The industrial snow index was developed to evaluate the likelihood of the development of industrial snow. Under ideal conditions, this can also be reinforced by the warm air masses from heating power plants and industrial plants, which then initiate the formation of industrial snow when the ambient temperatures are accordingly.