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Ice flower garden

The sudden drop in temperatures combined to create ice crystals in unique formations in the waters of Salmon Arm Bay
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Ice flower garden The sudden drop in temperatures combined to create ice crystals in unique formations in the waters of Salmon Arm Bay. D’Arcy McLeod took some interesting images of what he called ice flowers that formed on Sunday. Also known as frost flowers

The sudden drop in temperatures combined to create ice crystals in unique formations in the waters of Salmon Arm Bay. D’Arcy McLeod took some interesting images of what he called ice flowers that formed on Sunday. Also known as frost flowers, they are formed on thin ice when the atmosphere is much colder than the underlying ice. According to Wikipedia, a temperature difference between the ice surface and the air of at least 15°C is required for the formation of frost flowers, though this can be reduced if the air is very humid. In these conditions, a layer of vapour is created directly above the ice. As the warmer, wet air meets the overlying cold air, it can condense as hoar-frost crystals on the surface. In general, frost flowers only form in relatively windless conditions. Sunday’s weather provided the perfect environment for the frost to form.