Rime frost forms on leaves, branches and other solid objects when an icy wind freezes water droplets over them. It forms a solid white crust on the windward side of objects and can cause damage to buildings and other structures if it is allowed to build up. Rime is usually found in very cold, exposed areas.
Rime ice forms when supercooled water liquid droplets freeze onto surfaces. Meteorologists distinguish between three basic types of ice forming on vertical and horizontal surfaces by deposition of supercooled water droplets. There are also intermediate formations.
- Soft rime is less dense than hard rime and is milky and crystalline, like sugar. Soft rime appears similar to hoar frost.
- Hard rime is somewhat less milky, especially if it is not heavy.
- Clear ice is transparent and homogeneous and resembles ice-cube ice in appearance. Its amorphous, dense structure helps it cling tenaciously to any surface on which it forms.
Both rime types are less dense than clear ice and cling less tenaciously, therefore damage due to rime is generally minor compared to clear ice. Glaze ice is similar in appearance to clear ice but it is the result of a completely different process, occurring during freezing rain or drizzle.
These three types occur also when ice forms on the surface of an aircraft, particularly on the leading edges and control surfaces, when it flies through a cloud made of supercooled water liquid droplets. Rime ice is the least dense, milky ice is intermediate and clear ice is the most dense. All forms of ice can spoil lift and may have a catastrophic effect on an airborne aircraft. Ice is hazardous to flight as it disrupts airflow, increases weight, and adds drag. Ice forming on propellors and/or engine inlets can cause severe vibration and/or damage if ingested.
Rime is also a weather form.
Hard rime is a white ice that forms when the water droplets in fog freeze to the outer surfaces of objects. It is often seen on trees atop mountains and ridges in winter, when low-hanging clouds cause freezing fog. This fog freezes to the windward (wind-facing) side of tree branches, buildings, or any other solid objects, usually with high wind velocities and air temperatures between ?2 and ?8 °C (28.4 and 17.6 °F).
Soft rime is a white ice deposition that forms when the water droplets in light freezing fog or mist freeze to the outer surfaces of objects, with calm or light wind. The fog freezes usually to the windward side of tree branches, wires, or any other solid objects.
Soft rime is similar in appearance to hoar frost; but whereas rime is formed by vapour first condensing to liquid droplets (of fog, mist or cloud) and then attaching to a surface, hoar frost is formed by direct deposition from water vapour to solid ice. A heavy coating of hoar frost, called white frost, is very similar in appearance to soft rime, but the formation process is different: it happens when there is no fog, but very high levels of air relative humidity (above 90%) and temperatures below ?8 °C (17.6 °F).
Soft rime formations have the appearance of white ice needles and scales; they are fragile and can be easily shaken off objects. Factors that favour soft rime are small drop size, slow accretion of liquid water, high degree of supercooling, and fast dissipation of latent heat of fusion. The opposite conditions favour ice with higher densities, such as hard rime or clear ice.
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