It is always impressive to come across hair ice in a wintry forest. It is surprising that many forest visitors overlook the phenomenon and walk past it. That is of course a shame.
It’s worth looking specifically for hair ice when the conditions are right. The success rate is surprisingly high after a few attempts. But when are the conditions ideal?
conditions in the forest
Hair ice in the Sihlwald, February 7, 2023.
Hair ice in the Sihlwald, February 7, 2023. (Photo: D. Gerstgrasser)
First, let’s choose the ideal piece of forest. The choice is simple: you should look for a deciduous or mixed forest. It is ideal if the forest is not “tidy” and there is a lot of dead wood on the ground (branches with a paraguay phone number library diameter of very small to around 10 centimeters). There should also be no or very little snow on the forest floor.
An important prerequisite for the formation of hair ice is sufficient moisture in the dead wood, so moist areas in the forest should be sought out.
Once we have identified an ideal piece of forest, we just have to wait for the right weather conditions.
Meteorological conditions
Hair ice in the Sihlwald, February 7, 2023. (Photo: D. Gerstgrasser)
Here, rain in the previous days is the first good prerequisite. If this is followed by a clear and cold night with temperatures of -1 to -5 degrees, this already gives rise to the first feelings of happiness.
It shouldn’t be too cold, because the water in the dead wood shouldn’t freeze completely. It’s also ideal if the wind is only light and the air isn’t too dry. Otherwise the hair ice sublimates, i.e. it goes directly from the solid to the gaseous state.
If all the conditions are met, it is worth not wasting taste week: let’s take your taste buds on a travel! any time and being in the forest at sunrise. The first rays of sun will beautifully showcase the germany cell number hair ice. The delicate hairs will also quickly melt away in direct sunlight.
At the beginning of the week, the conditions for the formation of hair ice were optimal. On Tuesday morning (February 7, 2023), the author discovered beautiful examples in the Sihlwald near Langnau am Albis.
By now it is probably too dry in many forests for hair ice to form. With a bit of luck, you can still find some specimens in particularly damp places or along streams.