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Author Topic: [40d / 40d2] Constant rain, even at below-freezing temperatures  (Read 1134 times)

ArdentPenguin

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[40d / 40d2] Constant rain, even at below-freezing temperatures
« on: December 27, 2008, 01:59:16 am »

I'm not sure if this is a bug, per se, but it seems strange. I'm in a region where the local brook freezes during the winter (I'm on the border between two biomes so it freezes a bit earlier in one of them, then in the other). However, the constant rain (and I mean CONSTANT - I don't think it's ever stopped) doesn't turn to snow during the winter when the brook freezes, it just keeps raining. This seems odd, because flowing water usually freezes well after it's cold enough to turn rain into snow.
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ArdentPenguin

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Re: [40d / 40d2] Constant rain, even at below-freezing temperatures
« Reply #1 on: December 27, 2008, 02:01:02 am »

Wow, never mind - it's snowing now. Spoke too soon.  :-[
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MMad

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Re: [40d / 40d2] Constant rain, even at below-freezing temperatures
« Reply #2 on: December 28, 2008, 08:17:54 am »

Even if the rain turned to snow eventually, I think you're correct in your observation that rain should change into snow before brooks and pools start to freeze. Small detail though. :)
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corvvs

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Re: [40d / 40d2] Constant rain, even at below-freezing temperatures
« Reply #3 on: December 28, 2008, 09:47:50 am »

Which happens first depends on the relative temperatures at ground-level versus the stratosphere. If there's cold air sitting on the ground but it's still just above freezing higher up then you'll often see a skim of ice on a pond but rain falling. (This is how you get freezing rain and/or sleet. Sleet starts as rain but hits a patch of air on the way down cold enough to turn it into little ice drops; freezing rain is liquid all the way down but at ground level it turns to ice.)

Now flowing water is a different story (harder to freeze it in place) - rivers should freeze at a much cooler temperature than brooks, which would still require a lower temperature than pools of still water.
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