CUSTER COUNTY – Nebraska has been nothing short of an ice wonderland the last couple of days, the trees are white and serene with some odd, pointy, sharp-looking frost, but what type of frost is that?
According to National Geographic, frost is water vapor or water in gas form that becomes solid. Areas that have a lot of fog often have heavy frosts, which can form when surfaces outside get past the dew point, or when the air gets so cold, that the water vapor in the air turns into liquid which then freezes and causes frost to form.
There are many different types of frost, which include some looking soft and dainty, while others might look harsh and pointed. In different areas of Nebraska, there might have been a couple of types of frost witnessed this week, including hoar frost and Rime.
Hoar frost is frost in the form of tiny, flat crystals, according to National Geographic. The frost forms tiny, hairlike ice crystals that show up on the ground or on objects that are outside or objects exposed to the outside air.
Now what is rime? Rime is created when a freezing fog happens that turns water droplets into a liquid. Rime is pointed, can look sharp, and seems to be clustered together.
Rime ice forms when supercooled droplets from fog freeze and attach to exposed surfaces that are 32°F or below, according to Wisfarmer.com.
There are two types of Rime, hard or soft. Hard Rime is dense and occurs when freezing fog is present and wind speeds are high. Soft rime is not as thick and appears to be sugary looking. Soft rime forms when freezing fog is present, but wind speeds are not high.
