An Ususual Event For Central Indiana

[michaelwmoss]

We actually had a Freezing Fog Advisory (Ice Fog) around throughout the night into the early morning.

Has anyone experienced an Ice Fog before and are they that unusual?

[PurdueWx80]

Oh my gosh, I was just about to post on this. It is very strange to have fog like that when it is sooo cold out. It was around -5 here this morning and the visibility was near zero. The trees are absolutely BEAUTIFUL today - they got a nice glaze from all the fog overnight. It's basically the same principle as freezing drizzle or rain, where the supercooled water freezes instantly on anything it touches. Everything has a nice glittery gray glaze on it, even the roads. Heard there were a lot of accidents this morning, but it's hard to say if it was from refrozen melted snow or from the freezing fog. I'll post the pics (along w/ my snow pics) later this week. The skies totally cleared out and there is haze now, but little ice crystals are falling from the sky now, almost like flurries but much smaller.

[michaelwmoss]

What we are now getting is the snow falling off of the trees (Melting from the direct sunlight) and it is falling. Almost looks like it is snowing but there are no clouds! Awesome sight!@

[isobar]

We had the same here today and Christmas morning. It looked like someone spray painted all the trees white. I thought it was rime ice, but it looks more like hoar frost.
It was so cold and completely calm that I thought I could hear the air crackling. It was awesome!

[Miss Mary]

I vaguely recall this possibly happening last winter. Hopefully polarbear will see this thread and confirm. I do recall my husband driving into work one morning last year and telling me how neat the trees looked, but how odd it all was. Visibility was poor. Just the conditions you've described Michael. Sure has been an odd winter so far! And it's just begun too.

Mary

[Brent]

We had it a few years back during a major arctic outbreak. I think it was in the Teens or Lower 20's by 8-9pm that night. Most of the roads had to be closed down because of it. It was a localized event though.

[ohiostorm]

I saw the warnings last night when I was updating my site. I remember this happening here a few years ago but no warning issued. I was outside and it was very foggy and very cold. Everything was ice coated. Was a very cool site.

[wx247]

We actually had a Freezing Fog Advisory (Ice Fog) around throughout the night into the early morning.

Has anyone experienced an Ice Fog before and are they that unusual?

We have had it here before a couple of times back in the winter of 2002-2003. Quite an awesome site I must add.

[michaelwmoss]

We had the same here today and Christmas morning. It looked like someone spray painted all the trees white. I thought it was rime ice, but it looks more like hoar frost.
It was so cold and completely calm that I thought I could hear the air crackling. It was awesome!

Awesome but what is Hoar Frost?

[michaelwmoss]

I vaguely recall this possibly happening last winter. Hopefully polarbear will see this thread and confirm. I do recall my husband driving into work one morning last year and telling me how neat the trees looked, but how odd it all was. Visibility was poor. Just the conditions you've described Michael. Sure has been an odd winter so far! And it's just begun too.

Mary

Boy has it ever and it is about to get even stranger. Warmer temps and flooding are coming!

Rumor has it there might even be Thunderstorms up here on New Years!

[isobar]

We had the same here today and Christmas morning. It looked like someone spray painted all the trees white. I thought it was rime ice, but it looks more like hoar frost.
It was so cold and completely calm that I thought I could hear the air crackling. It was awesome!

Awesome but what is Hoar Frost?

It's just your basic frost actually ... more fluffy and feathery than rime.

What I don't understand is why the ice fog formed in the first place. The RH was only 82% here; temp -3, dp -7. Anyone have any insight?

[michaelwmoss]

I think it had to do with the very light winds and the slightly colder air moving in aloft. If you remember, temps had started to rebound but then the Clipper came through and dropped the temperatures rapidly again. I think that quick change in temperature didn't give the atmosphere enough time to adjust, hence the fog.

[isobar]

Thanks Michael. Very interesting indeed!