What Caused These Patterns in the Snow?
Study the photo above, taken in Finnish Lapland, and see if you can work out how these patterns in the snow formed. For the answer,…
Tag: snow clues
In Nature, Everything is a Compass!
Nothing in nature is symmetrical. When we stop to ask ourselves what causes the asymmetries we find outdoors, suddenly everything we see becomes a compass.…
Big Snowflakes Mean Mild Air
Really large snowflakes can only form when the edges of smaller snowflakes are still sticky and liquid. This happens when snowflakes pass through air that…
Natural Navigation using Snow on Trees
In winter there are lots of new clues formed by the snow, including the strips of snow we find on the windward side of trees.…
The Temperature Rises Before Snow Arrives
The temperature often rises just before it snows, but why? When it is very cold in winter, we instinctively feel that snow is likely. It…
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…
Snow Signs in Finland
My thanks to Chris, who writes with some very interesting observations from the Kangasala region of Finland: “In the first picture (above), if you look…
Snow that Survives
There is plenty of snow on this tree stump, but very little nearby, why? The stump means that the tree that was once there has…
The Foehn Fish
Another very interesting email from Prof. Otta Wenskus: Hi Tristan, I just read your paragraph on altocumulus lenticularis. Sadly, while Ifind them beautiful, my feelings…
Using Snow and Snow Shadows to Navigate
We can navigate using both snow and the absence of snow, zones known as ‘snow shadows’. There are two types of snow shadow, those caused…
Snow Tells Tales About Trails
There are many different kinds of snow, as the Inuit know only too well. You are probably familiar with how easy it is to track…
Avalanche Warning Signs
In some areas niche expertise is vital, literally. The signs that warn of avalanches can be life-saving. Nik Huggins spoke to Alan Halewood (pictured) for…
Nieves Penitentes – A Rare Snow Compass
Nieves penitentes are an unusual snow formation, found only in dry air at high altitudes in areas exposed to intense sunlight. In the right conditions…
How to Navigate Using Snow Strips
As is my habit at this time of year, I like to get out early after any overnight snow. The tracking opportunities are spoiling and…
Snow Clues
I took these two photographs during a walk in the woods on Friday morning. The second picture was taken facing the opposite direction to the…