This morning is beautiful and nature has been busy decorating everything with a delicate and beautiful frost! I nipped out into our garden wrapped up in many layers and photographed the spider webs that were laden in frost. The seed heads of our Agapanthus plant looking beautiful in their frosty glory.
Then a short drive down the road to Mattingley revealed the Hoar frost further. Everything frozen from the ground to the top of the trees. It’s rare to see this kind of frost, especially since the year has been so mild, winter has finally taken over and has kicked into action.
What is a Hoar Frost?
Ground frost forms when the air is still and cold, usually on clear winter nights. Water vapour in the air condenses on solid surfaces, and as the surface temperature drops below 0°C, ice crystals form.
Hoar frost requires slightly different conditions. It forms when the water vapour in the air comes into contact with solid surfaces that are already below freezing point. Ice crystals form immediately, and the ice continues to grow as more water vapour is frozen. On a still night, it can grow well on tree branches, where the surface temperature is unlikely to rise above zero for several hours.
The word ‘hoar’ comes from old English and refers to the old age appearance of the frost: the way the ice crystals form makes it look like white hair or a beard.
So after a week of regular ground frosts it’s a delight to see this.
