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How cold can water in a stream get without freezing into ice?

April 26, 2017cold freezing Ice stream water

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How cold can water in a stream get without freezing into ice?

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While there are too many variables to give an exact answer to this question, it is true that water in a moving stream can drop below 32°F without freezing. This is partly due to the fact that fresh water in a stream can contain small amounts of salts and minerals that decrease the freezing point. These impurities prevent the water from easily forming molecular bonds with other water molecules. Note also that ice is a crystal and the kinetic energy of moving water makes it harder to form crystals. Learn more about the phases of water on this USA TODAY resource page.