Hoar Frost, Sleddale

On Tuesday night the air was still, the sky clear and the temperature fell to -5c. In the sub-zero conditions small ice crystals formed upon frozen surfaces.  As Tuesday turned to Wednesday, fed by a gathering mist, the crystals began to grow …

Hoar frost on our weather station after temperature dropped to -5.1c

On Wednesday morning we awoke to find the trees, marsh grass, wire fencing and our weather station covered by a magical hoar frost.

The meadows below the house

When dressed, and after the obligatory cup of tea (without which I find it impossible to function) I walked down to one of my favourite locations, just a few minutes from our home in Sleddale.

According to the Woodland Trust website the word ‘hoar’ comes from old English and refers to the old age appearance of the frost: the way the ice crystals form makes it look like white hair or a beard, so this woodland is quite an appropriate image!

The last time I visited Tongue Wood it was thick with snow. This time, while the branches and marsh grasses were covered in a delicate feathery white, the trunks of the trees and the ground below remained bare, revealing shade, colour, structure and features; providing a wonderful contrast to the white. 

Tongue Wood

The images below represent my attempt to record the wood and the frost. Hopefully they do it some sort of justice. 

Using Format