Geneva Icestorm, 26-27 January 2005

On 26 and 27 January 2005, the western shores of Lac Leman around
Geneva suffered severe icing as waves on the lake generated by a
strong, near gale-force east-north-easterly breeze froze on contact in
sub-zero conditions. Surface temperatures were around -5 C for 36 hours
or more. As the photographs show, some of the ice deposits were an
impressive 20-30 cm in thickness (and very heavy - a 30 cm cube of
ice weighs about 27 kg). The worst of the icing damage was limited to
the reach of the waves from the shoreline, but the effects were felt
for many kilometres north of Geneva right along the edges of the lake.

At Geneva Airport at 0300 UTC on 27 January the mean wind was 060 / 27
kn and the air temperature -4.4 C; the 18-06 UTC air minimum was -5.0 C
and the 06-18 UTC maximum a chilly -3.7 C. The wind moderated slowly
during the day, falling below 10 kn by 2100 UTC on 27 January. The
deposits of ice lasted for several days.

Пич, снимките са съвсем истински и са от 26 януари 2005 г.