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Concepts from algorithms that use observations and numerical model output to diagnose icing conditions aloft also apply well in the near-surface environment, where icing can affect wind turbines, power lines, communications towers and more. The LOWICE system is being developed to leverage proven in-flight icing knowledge to create real-time assessments of the near-surface icing environment.

An icing index values are compared to in-situ icing measurements. The calculation of the icing index is based on two operational NWP-models' 7 to 12 hours forecast datasets. Four icing events measured at the top of the fell Luosto during winter season 2005/2006 were selected for comparison. Measured icing events and calculated icing indices are graphically compared. Subjective icing intensity has been estimated by using video camera recordings and by available meteorological data. The icing index values clearly show some ability to predict the start and end of the icing event, but they are far from perfect.