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Myth: While in flight, the added weight of ice on the wings of an airplane during a severe icing situation causes the aircraft to crash. Fact: Ice imperils planes not by its weight but by deforming the shape and aerodynamics of the wings, reducing lift and increasing drag.

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Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist at WGN-TV. His forecasts can be seen Monday through Friday on WGN-TV News at noon and 9 p.m.

WGN-TV meteorologists Steve Kahn, Richard Koeneman and Paul Dailey plus weather producer Bill Snyder contribute to this page.