Supercooled

Definition: Liquid precipitation in the atmosphere can actually reach temperatures below the freezing point without becoming solid. In the case of freezing rain, water that started as a snow or ice crystal high in the atmosphere will pass through a warm layer of air causing melting. That same droplet of rain will then pass through another cold air layer near the surface and become supercooled. Supercooled water is also responsible for the icing that can occur on the wings of airplanes.