Sierra Cement-Icy Morning

Just like many parts of the country, we are experiencing very cold weather. In the Sierra Nevada foothills where I live, the snow is rarely the fluffy flakes you see in winter storybooks. The snow we experience is very wet and is lovingly called Sierra Cement by skiers (watch the short video for an explanation). We had a few snow showers yesterday and that left behind a nice layer of snow and ice....brrrrr it is cold, well for this California girl anyway.

On my morning walk I was entranced by the ice on the deck railing. I could see with my naked eye the beautiful crystals.

So I brought out my camera with the macro lens and was able to capture the ice to share with you.

It really is like a whole little icy world down there.

"The ice on the surface of a still pond usually begins to form around the edges first, and fine, lancelike needles of ice are sent out across the surface....It is equally interesting to watch the formation of the ice crystals in a glass bottle or jar. Water, in crystallizing, expands, and requires more room than it does as a fluid; therefore, as the water changes to ice it must have more room, and often presses so hard against the sides of the bottle as to break it."
Handbook of Nature Study, page 811

Ice, snow, hail, sleet....all great subjects for winter nature study.