#frost formation

[uwhe-arts]

frost formation . . . | uwhe-arts

[theenglishnook]

RIME

Rime forms frost through freezing droplets, creating icy wonders. Poetically, it means rhyme, immortalized in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Both meanings celebrate beauty in nature and language.

IPA: /raɪm/(Noun, Verb) Definitions: As a Noun: Meteorological: A layer of frost composed of tiny ice crystals that forms on exposed surfaces when supercooled water droplets freeze upon contact, especially in foggy or humid freezing conditions.Example: “The rime on the tree branches sparkled in the early morning sunlight, transforming the forest into a crystalline…

RIME

[babynaturalist]

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Jack Frost has visited Cincinnati several times in the last month. I’ve even seen a couple flakes of what could possibly be described as snow (but only a couple). Frost is fascinating; despite my dislike of the cold, it’s always beautiful to take my dog out in the early morning and see all of the delicate white on the grass and on the fallen leaves. But how does frost form?

In essence- the same way as dew. As the air cools overnight, water condenses near the ground, and collects on grass and leaves and other things lying on the ground (like a piece of pizza dropped by a drunk neighbor). If the air temperature drops below freezing, that water crystallizes and freezes into ice. This is variable based on the air’s humidity, hence why some cool mornings have no frost and why dew doesn’t form every morning during the summer or spring.

The National Weather Service lists the requirements for frost formation as:

Clear skies

Calm winds

Cool temperatures

Conducive local topography

That last one means certain areas are more or less likely to form frost based on the landscape. For example, valleys are often protected from the wind, and cold air settles in valleys/hot air rises out of them. Those hit 2 of the first 3 requirements for frost formation. You can see an example of this on a micro-scale in my own photographs, above. The photo with a lighter coating of frost on the leaves came from an exposed hillside. The photo with a heavier coating, little spiky crystals all over that trefoil leaf, was taken on a hillside sheltered between an apartment building and the tennis court.

The first frost is often an indicator of fall or winter’s arrival, and the last frost as an indicator of spring’s arrival. Farmers and gardeners still rely on estimates of first and last frosts to plan their harvests and plantings. Interestingly (ie. I just learned this today) farmers will sometimes spray their crops with a genetically-modified bacteria that hinders the formation of ice crystals. This can extend the growing season long enough for a crop to reach peak maturity before harvest.

Links for further reading:

National Weather Service

National Geographic

Frosty Mornings Jack Frost has visited Cincinnati several times in the last month. I've even seen a couple flakes of what could possibly be described as snow (but only a couple).