Frozen precipitation usually falls from the sky. However, there’s another hazard that can be just as dangerous, yet develops from the surface. Freezing spray happens when water droplets from waves or sea spray are thrown into the air by strong winds and then freeze on contact with cold surfaces. This typically occurs when air temperatures are well below freezing and winds are strong enough to whip water off the surface of lakes or oceans.

Along places like the Great Lakes, freezing spray can quickly coat docks, boats, railings, trees and even buildings with thick layers of ice. It can even cause damage, especially when tree limbs break and fall due to the weight of the ice.

What makes freezing spray especially dangerous is how fast it can build up. Ice can accumulate in a matter of minutes, adding significant weight and making surfaces extremely slick. For boaters, freezing spray can become a serious hazard, reducing visibility, affecting vessel stability and, in extreme cases, leading to capsizing if ice builds unevenly.

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Even on land, freezing spray can damage infrastructure and create treacherous conditions along exposed shorelines.

Jennifer Gray is a weather and climate writer for weather.com. She has been covering some of the world's biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.