The ice is from freezing rain and sleet. It's rained and sleeted for the last day, but the temps are below freezing so it accumulates on things and makes a pretty layer.
The news man said that 5,000 feet up, the air temp is about 60 degrees F. When the rain falls and passes through the air that's closer to the ground in the 20's, it freezes and then forms sleet or freezing rain. As it falls it freezes. I don't know why it does it in some places and not in others. In states north of us, they get pummeled with snow, but not the ice. I guess where it's warmer up higher in the atmosphere, there is more a chance for freezing rain? I suppose your air is cold all the way up, so it just snows? I wish I was a meteorologist so I could say this with any certainty.

As I'm writing this I'm looking outside at our power line precariously sitting right below a rather large branch with almost an inch coating of ice. I fear it will break from the tree and take the power line with it. Say a little prayer that it doesn't, please.