Category: Snow Science
The Window of Many Cacti
February 14th, 2010 It’s been two weeks since our last frost, and judging from my first dozen shots, it seemed like my photography skills dropped from mediocre to downright pathetic. But then I got a few good shots of frost on windows. The fact that I shoot windows on ca… more »
How to classify snow crystals
February 14th, 2010According to Edward LaChapelle’s Field Guide to Snow Crystals (1969), the most widely used classification for falling ice is a system of 10 types from the International Commission on Snow and Ice, which came out in 1951. A few years later, ice researcher… more »
I am a giant snow crystal, imperfect thing of habit, bouncing along life's gusts,...
February 6th, 2010Some reviewers of The Story of Snow mistakenly call me the main author. I don't know why they make that mistake; after all, that Mark is the main author is clearly implied by his copyright on the dedications page and elsewhere. My role was to check the… more »
Ripples
February 5th, 2010 Ripples in still water When there is no pebble tossedNor wind to blow - Grateful Dead “Ripple” I don’t know where to start on this one. For some time I’ve been seeing concentric circular patterns on car windshields and car bodies – bands… more »
Mystery of Whirlpool Hollows
February 3rd, 2010 I’ve seen this whirlpool pattern on two mornings on the same plastic side-mirror of the same car. The hollow columnar crystals are oriented lengthwise along concentric circles, which strongly suggests that an underlying film froze with the sam… more »
Eyes and Dry Moats
January 22nd, 2010 Though I appreciate seeing the old and familiar, when I venture outside on frosty mornings, I usually see at least three unexpected things. Three unexpected things before breakfast. A few days ago, the frost at first appeared more hoary than curvy, bu… more »
The Maltese Cross in Pond Ice
January 21st, 2010 A few days after my encounter with the pawprints and grey muck, one of the ponds did freeze over. After me and my camera spent about 30 minutes admiring this rare event, I went and ruined the complete glaze job by punching a hole in it. Although the t… more »
Strange Pawprints in the Ice
January 15th, 2010On account of the recent cold spell, I went up the hill behind us in search of a glazed-over pond. Ponds can have interesting freezing patterns and, if the ice is thick enough, a little excitement. I've never seen these ponds freeze, but then again, I've… more »
Snakeskin Frost and Other Curiosities
January 12th, 2010You can see a lot on just one black car. The nearly uniform appearance of white frost shows, upon closer inspection, a variety of forms. The first black car of yesterday morning didn’t seem so striking, and I considered passing it by. But, never knowing… more »
They Came From Out of the Tub
January 8th, 2010Last night it rained, but the skies cleared before morning, letting the air temperature drop to about 2 degrees C. The weather, it seemed, would be perfect for lacy white frost patterns on cars. But it didn't quite turn out that way. A little bit before… more »
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