There must have been some serious cold AND wind!
http://www.reuters.com/news/picture/...eId=USRTR4GE5G

~Liz

now is a good opportunity to use one of my favourite german phrases:

"Gott in Himmel"

HA! yup

The poster who wants to go to northern Europe in December to escape Boston winters should see these photos.

Well, this "ice rain" is actually not happening because it was really cold in Austria right now.
It's a weather phenomenon which happens from time to time esp. on the Northern side of the Alps when you have warmer, humid layers of air (above freezing) on top of colder (slightly below freezing) layers of air. So the rain falls into the colder layers and turns to ice.
As it is right now warmer in higher elevations above 1000m or 3000ft than below.
It usually lasts a day or two and then the weather anomaly collapses and the ice starts to melt.

Interesting, Cowboy1968. Thanks for the explanation.

Wow - some ice storm!

This is way worse than just a bunch of snow - at least in the US these storms bring down a bunch of trees and electric wires - so people lose power and roads are blocked.

Probably not even a storm, just frosty and windy winter weather, and not as dramatic as you guys make it.

Hoarfrost and strong wind make these crystals grow. By the way, they grow against the wind. The funny bit about the photo is tzhe name of the town on the sign.