Freeze frames

Rebecca Cole highlights some different forms of snow and ice to look out for over the winter

Brrr! Do you love or hate the colder months? For many, this time of year is about drawing the curtains early and getting cosy, but I’m always crossing my fingers and hoping for a ‘proper winter’. They seem fewer and further between as the years go on, but when they do come about, I’m either out of the door to explore on foot or, if the driving conditions are safe, out in the campervan making the most of it. That’s it really – white stuff makes me happy!

Whether you are on a snowy Scottish mountain or just yards from home, it’s easy to appreciate winter’s beauty. There’s so much variety, too – just like no two snowflakes are the same, no ice formation or snowy day is the same either. In this article, I’m going to introduce you to just a few of the things you can look out for when the temperature drops, with a few photographic examples from my own adventures.

Hair ice

A robin lands next to a patch of hair ice

My first sighting of hair ice was during a stay in Hawes, North Yorkshire, where it was so cold that I had to wear my fleece hat all night in the ’van. On a trip to nearby Snaizeholme to hopefully spot red squirrels, a robin appeared, and on the fallen branch beneath its feet was a beautiful patch of hair ice.

Hair ice (pictured above) has a candyfloss-like structure, its fine strands extruded into waves and curls by a combination of the cold and a fungus present in the rotten broadleaf wood on which it forms. The fungus helps preserve the ice, often for several hours. Finding hair ice at Snaizeholme [in the Yorkshire Dales] delighted me just as much as the sight of red squirrels scampering around in the pine woods.

Rime ice

Rime ice formed a dramatic pattern on this wire fence

Still in the Yorkshire Dales, I encountered rime ice while approaching the summit of Great Whernside in a white-out, where I was confronted with what appeared to be a great concrete wall. It turned out Jack Frost had been at work, the foggy, windy and sub-zero moorland providing just the right conditions for this type of ice. Rime can easily be confused with hoar frost (see below), but is usually distinguished by its asymmetric character. On Great Whernside this simple wire fence (above) had the look of solid ice brickwork!

Hoar frost

Hoar frost on a frozen leaf

Hoar frost forms when water vapour hits sub-zero surfaces, building and growing into hairlike structures. The hoar frost on this petrified leaf (above) had formed during a calm, clear night. If you’re taking photos, you need to move fast as frost can disappear quickly in the sun. I turned the leaf on its side to catch the light.

Ice flowers

Ice flowers in the form of an angel

You don’t need to travel far to see ‘ice flowers’, which form on glass panes when there is very cold air on the outside and warmer, moist air on the inside. They grow slowly and are influenced by imperfections in the glass which create wonderful patterns. The ice flowers in the photo (above) appeared on my car window, the effect enhanced by the colour of the sky and surrounding buildings. Sometimes the flowers fill the window – but here they resemble an angel gliding overhead!

Diamond dust and sun halos

A sun halo

Diamond dust is still on my tick list! The phenomenon occurs when very cold ground-level cloud forms, often beneath a cloudless sky. Light is refracted through ice crystals in the cloud to create a dust-like effect.

Sun halos are formed in a similar way, but occur higher up, the sun refracting thousands of randomly positioned ice crystals. The one in the photo on the left is what is known as a ‘22° halo’, formed high in a cold sky on a warm summer’s day – too far away for us to see the ice crystals responsible for it (remember to never look directly at the sun).

Snow eggs

Snow eggs

I have yet to find these described anywhere although they must be formed in a similar way to ‘ice eggs’, where small pieces of ice are rolled over by the wind on a lake or sea, getting larger and larger (some have been recorded at nearly a metre in diameter!). The ones I spotted (above) were on the smaller side, but it felt like Jack Frost had been out to play with the Ice Queen!

Glaze ice

Glaze ice forms when rain hits a surface

Glaze ice occurs when drizzle or rain hits a surface, such as a branch or power line. Although it can be dangerous on pavements, it looks sublime on plants, occurring in striking formations. It isn’t safe to explore in the campervan with this menace on the roads, but to take this photo I attached ice-grip straps to my boots and walked to a nearby beck to admire nature’s artwork.

Final notes

Look out for bubbles trapped under the icy surface of puddles

When exploring icy landscapes, have fun but stay safe. Dress warmly, drive carefully (and remember to winterise your camping vehicle!).

A couple more things to look out for: wind-blown shapes on the leeward side of stone walls and interesting shapes in iced-over puddles where pockets of air have caught underneath.

We’d love to see your photos of any ice formations you find over the winter months.

Send them in to magazine@camc.com.