What Does 'Freezing Level' Mean?

What Does 'Freezing Level' Mean?

Story Published: Nov 10, 2002 at 11:53 AM PST

Story Updated: Mar 13, 2008 at 1:13 PM PST

By KOMO Staff & News Services

SEATTLE - A reported "freezing" level is the altitude where it is forecasted to remain below 32 degrees for the entire forecasted time period. Thus, even though there are some mornings where you have frost on your lawn, we might report a freezing level of 4,000 feet since that is where it's supposed to stay at freezing all day.

A "snow" level is the altitude at which anything higher is expected to receive their precipitation as snow. It's slightly lower than a freezing level (around 500 feet) because it can snow at a couple degrees warmer than 32.

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