Freezing rain is one of the most difficult events to forecast. The smallest variations in temperature (even only tenths of a degree) can mean the difference between rain, freezing rain, sleet or snow. Freezing rain occurs less frequently than other winter weather events and falls in very narrow bands, usually not more than 50 kilometers wide. When attempting to forecast a freezing rain event, sounding data is very useful for examining vertical temperature profiles of the atmosphere, which are indicative of what type of precipitation (if any) will likely occur.