Beware of black ice
This time of year, urgent care clinics like to remind their patients
who are regular walkers, beware of black ice. As the nights grow colder and
darkness falls earlier, black ice catches so many people off guard because it
is rarely expected this time of year. Black ice is the perfect set up a slip or
fall, and your urgent care centers want to offer suggestions that will help you
to stay on your feet all winter season.
Understanding black ice
- “Black ice" is that it's not really black at all. It is clear just like most forms of ice.
- When a thin layer of ice is perfectly transparent, it assumes the color of whatever surface it happens to freeze. Ice on the roadways lead people to name it black, to match the color of asphalt.
- Black ice on the roadway is invisible because of the way it freezes.
- Under normal winter conditions, the ground is usually cold enough so that when it is covered with snow, sleet, or rain; the precipitation immediately begins to freeze, leaving a telltale white frosty appearance.
- However, in situations when the temperature just barely hovers around 32 degrees Fahrenheit, the ground is warm enough to heat the precipitation, forcing air bubbles out of the droplets of moisture, allowing them to run together and form a transparent sheet of ice on the road surface.
Convenient, walk-in care for
Germantown, MD
We all want the best for our families, especially when it comes to healthcare
and preventive medicine. Medical Access provides convenient walk-in care as an
alternative to long waits in the emergency room. Their friendly staff will
carefully and quickly assess your needs and provide the appropriate services,
from preventive medicine to x-ray and lab services. Their facilities are fully
staffed and equipped in order to meet the demands of their patients and their
healthcare needs.
Dr. Manbir Takhar is the Chief Medical Officer, and has been associated
with Medical Access since 1999. She is qualified to treat almost any type of
injury or illness that may present itself. Call Medical Access today, or simply
drop in, as no appointment is needed to receive timely, quality urgent care for
any non-life-threatening health issues.
