Industrial snow
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Industrial snow occurs near sources of heat, moisture and atmospheric particulate matter. It usually occurs at nighttime, in a combination of freezing temperatures, stagnant low stratus cloud or fog, and a temperature inversion.[1] It falls from a low altitude as fine spikes of ice, having not had time to grow to the more usual shaped snowflake.[2]
It has been observed in Switzerland, Austria,[1][3] Germany,[2] Northern Italy (where it is referred to as neve chimica, "chemical snow"),[4] Hungary,[5] in Canada (where it was referred to as refinery snow, or plant snow),[6] the United Kingdom,[7] and Texas.[8]