Mother Nature Gives A Beautiful Show In Western North Dakota
The sites around Williston was absolutely beautiful this morning! It was foggy, but the hoar frost on the trees was amazing. This is nothing new for us in the region, but every time it makes an appearance, you can't help but talk about it. The word of day...hoarfrost!
How does hoarfrost form?
According to Accuweather, when the air is quiet and cold, usually on clear winter nights, ground frost occurs. As airborne water vapor condenses on solid surfaces, ice crystals start to form as the surface temperature falls below 0°C.
Hoarfrost takes a little bit of a different environment. It develops when airborne water vapor interacts with solid surfaces that are already below freezing. Ice crystals start to form right away, and they keep expanding as more water vapour is frozen. On a calm night, where the surface temperature is unlikely to climb above zero for several hours, it can thrive on tree branches.
The amount of water vapour that is available to "feed" the ice crystals as they grow determines the size of the frost that forms. Hoarfrost has a distinctive appearance because as it grows, it develops structures that resemble hair or feathers.
It was extremely thick this morning in our region. It was easy to enjoy the dramatic and stunning scenes the ice needles formed on everything from trees to fences...even the power lines couldn't escape this fun wonder of nature! As the new year starts, make sure you take some time to enjoy the little things. I did, and it made my morning a little better!