Climatic mapping of ice loads based on airport weather observations

Methods to construct climatic ice load risk maps for rime ice, ice due to freezing precipitation, and wet snow are described. Results of an analysis of icing risk in Finland are presented. This analysis is based on 23 years of data from the airports. The results are used in studying the effect of the elevation of the site on the severity of rime icing. It is shown that rime ice loads correlate much more strongly with the elevation in relation to the surrounding terrain than with the elevation as measured from the sea level.