Do You Know Which Types Of Wintry Precipitation Are More Dangerous Than Others?

Snow? Sleet? Wintry Mix? What Drivers Should Know

Snow, sleet, freezing rain, wintry mix ... they all tend to get lumped together as “bad winter weather.”

But when it comes to driving, the type of wintry precipitation falling can make a huge difference in how dangerous the roads become.

According to meteorologist Caitlin Kaiser, some of the most treacherous conditions actually come from the kinds of winter weather that don’t look all that intimidating at first glance.

Here’s how the main types of wintry precipitation differ, and why each one can turn a routine drive into a white-knuckle experience.

Freezing Rain

Freezing rain starts as frozen precipitation high in the atmosphere before falling through a thick warm layer and becoming liquid rain. But once it makes contact with cold surfaces it freezes instantly, coating roads with a thin glaze of ice.

“It creates that thin, icy, almost transparent layer that’s really hard to spot and is really hard for your car to find traction on,” Kaiser said. “You’re really just stuck waiting for it to melt.”

(MORE: Drive Safely In Winter Sun Glare)

This type of ice, often called black ice, is especially hazardous because drivers may not realize it’s there until they’ve already lost control. Even a small amount can make roads feel like a skating rink, rendering braking and steering nearly useless.

Sleet

Sleet is another troublemaker. Unlike freezing rain, sleet forms by falling through a more shallow warm layer, meaning it has time to refreeze before it reaches the ground, landing as tiny ice pellets.

“Sleet is going to make roads hazardous,” Kaiser said. “If it falls and piles up, we have issues with your tires. If it melts, then we’re kind of dealing with that icy layer again.”

Snow

Snow is fully frozen precipitation, but its impact on driving depends heavily on its texture.

“Wet, heavy snow actually makes driving even more difficult than a dry, powdery snow because it’s harder for your tires to get traction on the road,” Kaiser explained.

That dense, moisture-laden snow creates a slick, slushy layer that reduces grip and makes stopping distances longer.

While plows can usually push snow out of the way, drivers have to contend with reduced visibility while it's falling, especially during the early stages of a storm.

Wintry Mix

When forecasters mention a “wintry mix,” it’s not just vague weather talk, it's meant literally as a "mixture" of multiple conditions.

"That's when you have a combination of multiple types of wintry precipitation, that could be snow and sleet, sleet and freezing rain or even a combination of all three," explained Kaiser.

(MORE: Why The South Sees More Ice Storms Than Snow)

These mixed events are especially dangerous because road conditions can change mile by mile or minute by minute. Snow-covered stretches can suddenly turn icy, and drivers may not have time to adjust.

Wintry Conditions Cause Winter Crashes

Kaiser noted that many crashes happen at the very beginning of a storm, or early on in the winter season, when drivers are caught off guard.

"People are not quite in that mindset of winter driving and how cautious you need to be" she said. “There’s a lot of misconceptions around, ‘well, it’s just a little bit of snow, it’s just a little bit of ice,' but this is actually one of the most dangerous times to be on the road."

No matter what’s falling from the sky, the message is the same: slow down, increase your following distance and don’t underestimate “minor” winter weather. Even a light coating of snow, sleet or ice can dramatically change how your vehicle responds.