Happy New Year!

Over the last few mornings, we had a lovely little stretch where conditions were suitable for hair ice (frost flowers) to grow.

That does not mean “lovely” for tromping around in the woods, since it has to be slightly below freezing, but these beauties are worth some discomfort!

Those of you who have known me for a while know that I prefer “frost flowers” as the term for these… but I’m reluctantly caving in to the reality that “hair ice” is both more frequently used, and more apt for most of the formations.

The thaw is on now, so these pictures are New Year’s Eve hair ice, not New Year’s Day hair ice.

Around here (south Puget Sound), hair ice “grows” on 2-3 year dead alder twigs and branches. The locks of the last couple days have been especially long, probably because the temperature has lingered just below freezing for hours.

When there is more of a cold snap, the formations can be cut short.

Often, larger sticks mean longer hair ice locks, but under optimal conditions even a skinny stick can grow impressive formations.

In this example, a slim stick 1-2 cm diameter grows hair ice 10-fold the length. Probably most of the moisture has extruded!

I admit that I enjoy the especially lush growths, where thousands of ice hairs form a graceful formation.

However, it’s easier to see what’s going on in the sparser formations.

In an acre of alder woods, I might see 5-10 sticks with really nice hair ice, and the same number again that are small or poorly formed.

We have been amazingly lucky in that both homes Rob and I have had together (Port Angeles and Olympia WA) have supported hair ice growth.

Alder groves+maritime climate with occasional frost=hair ice!

I found my first “home” hair ice 10 years ago, 12/30/2015, at the house we lived in at Port Angeles. 

Here is one of the handful of formations I found that day.

The first hair ice I ever saw was actually on a hike on the Olympic Peninsula.

The first hair ice I ever saw was actually on a hike on the Olympic Peninsula the previous winter, 1/3/2015.

It was at a camp site by the Elwha River.

I had never seen anything like them, bits of cotton fluff scattered around.

This is still one of my favorite formations!

Because they are only out when it’s unpleasantly cold, your odds of running across them randomly like this are not good.

However, now that I know what to look for, I am out at dawn on every frosty morning.

I feel very lucky to have these to share!

May the new year hold many such little joys for you!

May there be previous moments and unexpected beauty.

Best wishes for the New Year!