What is a Corona in the Sky?
During a night walk in the early hours today, I was treated to the scene above, a beautiful corona. But what is a Corona? A…
Tag: ice
Which Way Are We Looking?
I took this photo in the South Downs a few days ago. Which direction are we looking? North, East, South or West? And Why? Struggling?…
What is Rime Ice?
Rime Ice There is a common type of icing that is regularly called frost, but is not formed in the same way. Rime ice occurs…
What are Fallstreak Holes in Clouds?
Fallstreak holes form when a part of a cloud falls out, leaving a hole. This happens when part of a cloud made of very cold…
How to Tell If You Are Looking at a Storm Cloud
If we see clouds growing taller, it is a sign that showers and storms are more likely than days when the clouds are flat and…
The Meaning of Ice Patterns
If we look closely at ice we will often find patterns and patterns in nature always have meaning. In the photo above there is an…
What is a Distrail?
A distrail is the clear path through a cloud formed in the wake of an aircraft. Distrails form because the aircraft turns the water droplets…
Ice Wall in Finland
I’ve just received another fascinating email from ‘Chris in Finland’: I took this photo a few days ago on Lake Näsijärvi, Tampere, Pirkanmaa, Finland. This…
How to Beat the Wind
I’ve been faced with an interesting weather challenge recently. I needed to take a sail off my boat for maintenance. This is something I can…
Frozen Splash Sculpture
Water sprayed by cars driving through a puddle has frozen in the layer of very cold air near the ground.
The Secret World of Weather
How to Read Signs in Every Cloud, Breeze, Hill, Street, Plant, Animal, and Dewdrop The weather changes as we walk around a tree or turn…
Noctilucent Clouds
A guest blog post today, from John Pahl: If you were to ask me what my favourite cloud would be, I wouldn’t hesitate: it has…
More Beautiful Sun Dogs
My thanks again to Alan Gibson for sending over some great images. These are sun dogs or parhelia and parts of a “22 degree halo”.…
Saved by the Moon
Below is a short extract from Apsley Cherry-Garrard’s classic of exploration literature, The Worst Journey in the World. This passage contains several valuable and interesting…
The Shape of the Land
The week is already feeling full with the task of collating and writing up observations from the sail north. At the end of the month…
Snow and Ice Patterns
I’m just back from some micronavigation in the Black Mountains in Wales. I should get a chance to blog in more detail in time, but…
Words by the Water Festival
I have just returned from a wonderful couple of days in the Lake District. I was at the ‘Words by the Water’ literary festival in…
Tongues of Ice
I’m just back from six days in Cairngorms in the Scottish Highlands. In the foreground of the first picture you can probably make out some…
Lightness and Darkness
I went for a walk in the South Downs yesterday afternoon. The air was cold, there were still chunks of ice lining the north-facing side…