Winter in North Carolina produces some magnificent landscapes covered in snow. But not all of that white stuff you see on trees and such each winter is actually snow. Of course, some of it is plain ice but there’s another kind of ice, a more magical version, that forms when the weather conditions are just right. It’s called rime ice.
If you’re a person who loves winter at least in part due to the dramatic change to the landscape, then you’ll love the story behind rime ice and how it forms.
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In the higher elevations, in particular, like Beech Mountain where this photo was taken in 2019, low hanging clouds and fog bring water droplets into the atmosphere.
©Robin Jarvis
And when they are super cooled at a rapid rate they stick to the windward facing sides of trees, fences, and well, just about anything. The result is a feathery looking mass of tiny ice spikes.
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When covering an entire tree, the overall look of rime ice is astounding.
©Robin Jarvis
That being said, the process for each is the same, but there are two different grades of rime ice: hard and soft.
©Robin Jarvis
Soft rime ice has more of a milky, white color…
©Robin Jarvis
While hard rime ice is closer to transparent, like this image of rime ice on a chain link fence.
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Did you know of rime ice before now? Ever seen this phenomenon in your own back yard in North Carolina? Tell us, or better yet, show us by uploading your own photos of rime ice in our comments here, or join our North Carolina Nature Lovers Group on Facebook and share your rime ice images with everyone there!
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©Robin Jarvis
Fiona McAllister Photography / Moment Collection via Getty Images
Emilija Manevska / Moment Collection via Getty Images
For more reasons to love winter in North Carolina, check out the largest snow tubing resort in the entire Southeast: Hawksnest!
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