Icy conditions Ice and/or snow on the road can be dangerous. Drivers often react the wrong way in these conditions and accidents may occur. Ice on the road can be really tricky to recognize. Here, we will cover a few details that could help you notice if there might be ice on the road.
Icy conditions Icy conditions Landscape: Landscape:
. If the sky .isIfclear the sky at night is clear orat late night at or late at night it’s more nightlikely it’s more then,likely that the then, roads that will the be roads icy.will When be the icy. sky When is clear the sky it’s is much clear it’s much colder outside colder then outside if it were thencloudy. if it were cloudy.
Near sea or Near water: sea or water:
In a few places In a few in Iceland places the in Iceland road lies thenear roadthe liessea near or water. the seaWhen or water. the road Whenisthe so road is so close to the close sea or to water, the seaaor slywater, ice can a sly form iceon can the form road. onThe thereason road. The for reason this is that for this is that the humidity theishumidity more than is more usualthan and ifusual it’s cold andoutside, if it’s cold iceoutside, can form iceon can the form road. on the road.
Shelter: Shelter: other landscape other landscape that can provide that can shelter, provide youshelter, shouldyou drive should carefully. driveWhen carefully. the When the winter is near winter or coming is near or to coming an end places to an end likeplaces these can like have theseicy canroads, haveespecially icy roads, especially late at night. late at night.
Thermometer Thermometer in the car:in the car:
In most cars In there most is cars a thermometer there is a thermometer that can give thatyou cana give rough you idea a rough aboutidea the about the temperature temperature outside. But outside. this is only But this a rough is only estimate, a roughand estimate, it’s notand good it’sto not count good to count on the thermometer on the thermometer because the because temperature the temperature on the road oncan thebe road colder canthan be colder the than the thermometer thermometer says. If thesays. thermometer If the thermometer shows 4-5°shows and the 4-5° weather and theis weather still, there is is still, there is a good reason a good to pay reason close toattention pay closeto attention the conditions to the conditions on the road, onespecially the road, if especially the if the road is wet.road is wet.
The higher The you higher get the you lower get the the lower temperature the temperature gets: gets:
If you are driving If you are ondriving the highway on theand highway there is and nothere ice onisthe no ice road, onit’s thepossible road, it’sthat possible that the mountain the roads mountain haveroads ice onhave them. icePlaces on them. like Places Öxnadalsheiðin like Öxnadalsheiðin in the north, in the north, Hellisheiðin Hellisheiðin between Reykjavík betweenand Reykjavík Hveragerði and Hveragerði or Holtavörðuheiði or Holtavörðuheiði in the south in are the south are known to have known bad toweather have badconditions weather conditions even though even thethough weather theinweather town is good. in town is good. WintertimeWintertime in Iceland is inmysterious. Iceland is mysterious. It can, in only It can, oneinhour, only change one hour, from change a sunny from a sunny day to a blistering day to a storm. blistering So drive storm. carefully So driveand carefully have aand great have vacation a greatinvacation Iceland. in Iceland.
We would We likewould to emphasise like to emphasise to you a few to details you a few regarding details regarding the temperature the temperature outside. When outside. the thermometer When the thermometer in the car tells in the you carthat tellsthe you temperature that the temperature outside is outside is below 4-5°below you should 4-5° you know should that know the road thattemperature the road temperature is most likely is most lower. likely Thislower. This means thatmeans ice forms thatmore ice forms easilymore on the easily road onespecially the road if especially the road ifisthe wet.road is wet.
easily recognized; easily recognized;
1.
Héluhálka (White frost): (White When frost): the temperature When the temperature on the road ongoes the road goes 1. Héluhálka below zerobelow and the zero humidity and theinhumidity the air rises in the a white air rises frost a white can form froston can form on the road. the road.
2.
Snjór2.(Snow): Snjór When (Snow): there When is snow there onisthe snow road, onthe theroad road,isthe most road likely is most likely icy, so drive icy, carefully. so drive carefully.
3.
Flughálka (Extremely (Extremely slippery): slippery): When the road Whentemperature the road temperature is at is at 3. Flughálka freezing point freezing and it point rains,and it gets it rains, extremely it gets extremely slippery, especially slippery, when especially when it’s windy outside. it’s windy outside.
4.
4. Hrímþoka Hrímþoka (Freezing (Freezing Fog): When Fog): people When talkpeople about talk Freezing aboutFog Freezing they Fog they mean thatmean when that coldwhen raindrops cold from raindrops the fog from land theonfog theland road onand the road and freeze. It’s even freeze.possible It’s eventhat possible the fog that willthe freeze fog will on your freeze front on your front window sowindow make sure so make that there sure that is anthere ice scrape is an ice in the scrape car. in the car.
Then there Then are there two types are two thattypes are harder that are to harder recognize; to recognize; 5.
5. Glerhálka Glerhálka (Black Ice):(Black It canIce): be hard It can tobe seehard when to water see when freezes water on freezes the on the road, especially road, when especially the road’s when temperature the road’s temperature goes below goes zero.below In zero. In these conditions these conditions it’s hard toit’s seehard if the toroad see ifisthe wetroad or icy is because wet or icythe because the road will glare roadinwill both glare conditions. in both conditions. When the temperature When the temperature goes undergoes under 4-5° it’s more 4-5°likely it’s more that ice likely willthat form iceon will the form road. on the road.
6.
6. Frostrigning Frostrigning (Freezing (Freezing Rain): ThisRain): type of This icetype is hard of ice to recognize. is hard to recognize. The rain will The freeze rain will when freeze it hits when the cold it hitsroad. the We coldusually road. We don’t usually knowdon’t know when the road whentemperature the road temperature goes below goes zerobelow degrees zero sodegrees when the so when the temperature temperature is 5° or below, is 5°be or careful. below, be careful.
in Iceland
in Iceland