The Story of Snow - Jon's Blog - Latest Comments https://www.storyofsnow.com/blog1.php?disp=comments en-US http://backend.userland.com/rss 60 Amanda [Visitor] in response to: Rime, freezing fog, and crystalline spider webs Fri, 09 Jan 2026 03:11:43 +0000 Amanda [Visitor] c97@https://www.storyofsnow.com/ <p>This is really fucking cool info. Also, great photos. Thank you for sharing.</p> This is really fucking cool info. Also, great photos. Thank you for sharing.

]]> https://www.storyofsnow.com/blog1.php/rime-freezing-fog-and-crystalline-spider-webs#c97 jnelson [Member] in response to: Hole in Cloud Mon, 08 Apr 2024 03:35:56 +0000 [Member] c96@https://www.storyofsnow.com/ <p>About the reason that the hole is in that particular location, I think a better explanation is that a plane passed through the cloud. These are known as &#8220;hole-punch clouds". As to the reason that a plane would produce the ice: the passing of the plane&#8217;s wings, body, and (if present) propellors, through the air produce a region in which the air expands. The expansion produces cooling, and the already plenty supercooled droplets are pushed below the homogeneous freezing temperature of -40 C. Hence, some freeze. The frozen ones grow rapidly at the expense of the remaining drops, and fall out. </p> About the reason that the hole is in that particular location, I think a better explanation is that a plane passed through the cloud. These are known as “hole-punch clouds". As to the reason that a plane would produce the ice: the passing of the plane’s wings, body, and (if present) propellors, through the air produce a region in which the air expands. The expansion produces cooling, and the already plenty supercooled droplets are pushed below the homogeneous freezing temperature of -40 C. Hence, some freeze. The frozen ones grow rapidly at the expense of the remaining drops, and fall out. 

]]> https://www.storyofsnow.com/blog1.php/hole-in-cloud#c96 jnelson [Member] in response to: Slush Fingering and Other Pond Patterns Mon, 29 Jan 2024 16:52:04 +0000 [Member] c95@https://www.storyofsnow.com/ <p>Hi Bev, <br /> That is an interesting observation. I can only guess about the angular nature. If there had been fingers such as those in the top images, the melting from the center may proceed along nearly straight fronts between the fingers. For example, in the top image, there are 7 main fingers, so if the melting fronts were straightish between fingers, the shape would be a 7-sided figure. If two fingers are very close, the fronts may join, making it 6-sided. </p> <p>Just a guess. I may have seen something like this in the past. Will keep my eyes open for it. Thanks for asking&#8211;</p> <p>Jon</p> Hi Bev,
That is an interesting observation. I can only guess about the angular nature. If there had been fingers such as those in the top images, the melting from the center may proceed along nearly straight fronts between the fingers. For example, in the top image, there are 7 main fingers, so if the melting fronts were straightish between fingers, the shape would be a 7-sided figure. If two fingers are very close, the fronts may join, making it 6-sided.

Just a guess. I may have seen something like this in the past. Will keep my eyes open for it. Thanks for asking–

Jon

]]> https://www.storyofsnow.com/blog1.php/slush-fingering-and-other-pond-patterns#c95 Bev Meier [Visitor] in response to: Slush Fingering and Other Pond Patterns Sat, 27 Jan 2024 15:56:08 +0000 Bev Meier [Visitor] c94@https://www.storyofsnow.com/ <p>I have a roundish pond on which the melting pattern of several days is a definite trapezoid. In a larger of my ponds, the thawing is also angular. Why? It seems that it might follow the shape of the pond…but aside from that, WHY would these thaw in ANGULAR patterns?</p> I have a roundish pond on which the melting pattern of several days is a definite trapezoid. In a larger of my ponds, the thawing is also angular. Why? It seems that it might follow the shape of the pond…but aside from that, WHY would these thaw in ANGULAR patterns?

]]> https://www.storyofsnow.com/blog1.php/slush-fingering-and-other-pond-patterns#c94 richard jones [Visitor] in response to: An Ice Vase Sprouts From a Bathtub Sat, 30 Dec 2023 20:14:35 +0000 richard jones [Visitor] c93@https://www.storyofsnow.com/ <p>I have photographed and video&#8217;s an ice vase that I found in an old shower floor that was in the bed of my truck. I had never seen anything like it and this afternoon I had some time indoors so found Your website.</p> <p>Oh and I too put a small twig down into the vase.</p> <p>Mine too was triangular.</p> <p>How do I send you the video and photos?</p> I have photographed and video’s an ice vase that I found in an old shower floor that was in the bed of my truck. I had never seen anything like it and this afternoon I had some time indoors so found Your website.

Oh and I too put a small twig down into the vase.

Mine too was triangular.

How do I send you the video and photos?

]]> https://www.storyofsnow.com/blog1.php/an-ice-vase-sprouts-from-a-bathtub#c93 jnelson [Member] in response to: The end of snow Mon, 22 Mar 2021 02:56:54 +0000 [Member] c91@https://www.storyofsnow.com/ <p>Looking at this posting, now 7 years after I wrote it, it might look like the plots are from the NY Times article. They aren&#8217;t. I spent quite a bit of time making them. </p> <p>My point was that if one looks at the data, the picture is not as grim as the newspaper articles suggests. Also, note that the snow coverage instead has an increasing trend in the early winter. Also, obviously, the trends in smaller regions may be quite different than those of all of N. America, as I plotted here.</p> Looking at this posting, now 7 years after I wrote it, it might look like the plots are from the NY Times article. They aren’t. I spent quite a bit of time making them.

My point was that if one looks at the data, the picture is not as grim as the newspaper articles suggests. Also, note that the snow coverage instead has an increasing trend in the early winter. Also, obviously, the trends in smaller regions may be quite different than those of all of N. America, as I plotted here.

]]> https://www.storyofsnow.com/blog1.php/the-end-of-snow#c91 jnelson [Member] in response to: What makes the thick curvy lines in frozen puddles? Sun, 03 Jan 2021 07:13:04 +0000 [Member] c90@https://www.storyofsnow.com/ <p>Thanks a lot, Jim. <br /> Prof. Lewin sure has the mad scientist look about him now. </p> <p>I did not know about the term &#8220;cat ice&#8221; for the ice on these &#8220;crunchy&#8221; puddles. The 1901 book excerpt that is briefly shown in that video gives the definition, but does not mention why cat is in the term. Online, the Merriam-Webster dictionary also gives the term &#8220;shell ice", and one twitter poster (@RobGMacfarlane) writes that the ice is just thick enough to &#8220;support a cat&#8221; and hence the term. </p> <p>About that Prof. Lewin video, if you look to it for an explanation, then you can better use your time elsewhere&#8211;you will find no explanation there of any freezing phenomena.</p> Thanks a lot, Jim.
Prof. Lewin sure has the mad scientist look about him now.

I did not know about the term “cat ice” for the ice on these “crunchy” puddles. The 1901 book excerpt that is briefly shown in that video gives the definition, but does not mention why cat is in the term. Online, the Merriam-Webster dictionary also gives the term “shell ice", and one twitter poster (@RobGMacfarlane) writes that the ice is just thick enough to “support a cat” and hence the term.

About that Prof. Lewin video, if you look to it for an explanation, then you can better use your time elsewhere–you will find no explanation there of any freezing phenomena.

]]> https://www.storyofsnow.com/blog1.php/why-do-frozen-ponds-and-puddles-have-lines#c90 Jim J Jewett [Visitor] in response to: What makes the thick curvy lines in frozen puddles? Sat, 02 Jan 2021 19:02:19 +0000 Jim J Jewett [Visitor] c89@https://www.storyofsnow.com/ <p>Just thought I should tip you off to the reason for some extra recent traffic &#8211; a challenge issued by Professor Lewin, with this page listed as a providing a very good explanation. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1QbNmCPgE0&amp;ab_channel=LecturesbyWalterLewin.Theywillmakeyou%E2%99%A5Physics" class="linebreak" rel="nofollow ugc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1QbNmCPgE0&amp;ab_channel=LecturesbyWalterLewin.Theywillmakeyou%E2%99%A5Physics</a>.</p> Just thought I should tip you off to the reason for some extra recent traffic – a challenge issued by Professor Lewin, with this page listed as a providing a very good explanation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1QbNmCPgE0&ab_channel=LecturesbyWalterLewin.Theywillmakeyou%E2%99%A5Physics.

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