Beautiful and Unusual Weather Effect

Hoarfrost Sprinkles Its Glitter

Its been about eight years since we last saw this glorious phenomenon. It has been very cold here - 15 degrees at dawn - for a couple of days. Plants and objects are very cold, well below freezing. As moist warmer air rose from the Hudson and spread up the shoreline, crystal frost - hairy in appearance - formed on all surfaces. Here's a more technical definition: Radiation frost (also called hoar frost or hoarfrost) refers to the white ice crystals, loosely deposited on the ground or exposed objects, that form on cold clear nights when radiation losses into the open skies cause objects to become colder than the surrounding air.

The visual effect is magical and at dawn the light plays on the crystals. Enjoy the photos.