When do supercooled large drops typically form?

Supercooled large drops typically form during certain types of cloud formations, particularly in the presence of specific atmospheric conditions. These drops are found in mixed-phase clouds, where both ice crystals and liquid water co-exist. This phenomenon can occur in clouds that extend into colder regions of the atmosphere.

The key aspect of supercooled large drops is their ability to remain liquid even at temperatures below the freezing point, which occurs under the right conditions, such as when the air is saturated with moisture but not all the water has begun to freeze. These drops can aggregate and grow larger than normal raindrops, leading to weather phenomena like freezing rain when they eventually impact a surface that is below freezing.

Other possibilities, such as formation purely in extremely cold temperatures or exclusively above freezing, do not account for the complex nature of cloud physics involved in their creation. Thus, understanding that supercooled large drops are closely tied to specific cloud types helps clarify their occurrence in the atmosphere.