Hoar frost Minnesota Morning

Many of you who do not live in Minnesota may think Minnesota is a frozen wasteland much of the year. It may even be true that as I get a little older there are more and more reasons to agree with that description of this place. But even a frozen wasteland has its advantages. Once in a while we in Minnesota get to experience the amazing spectacle of God’s creation in the magic of hoar frost.

WHAT is hoar Frost?

Wiki defines hoar frost like this.

Hoar frost … refers to the white ice crystals, loosely deposited on the ground or exposed objects, that form on cold clear nights when heat losses into the open skies cause objects to become colder than the surrounding air. A related effect is flood frost which occurs when air cooled by ground-level radiation losses travels downhill to form pockets of very cold air in depressions, valleys, and hollows. Hoar frost can form in these areas even when the air temperature a few feet above ground is well above freezing. Nonetheless the frost itself will be at or below the freezing temperature of water.

A week or so ago was one of those days when you knew the conditions would be ideal to have an incredible display of hoar frost. And they oddest thing about the frost event was that it stayed so long throughout the day. This just NEVER happens. The temperature stayed constant throughout the day and the dense moisture stayed the same to the frost persisted.

At 2:30 pm I was driving some 90 miles from my home and I still witnessed an entire forest covered with rich dense hoar frost. And then the sun came out and the whole scene exploded into a wintery magical photographers dream. The problem was I was driving on a very busy highway and I could not get off the highway or stop for the shot. Yes I missed probably a once in a lifetime shot.

So yes while Minnesota can produce winter depression and a sense of living in a wasteland, if you get out in nature you will have an opportunity to experience what is actually available to stimulate the mind and soul in this place we call home. Now get out and enjoy!!

Many of these images are available for purchase at the gallery.