Last weekend, hundreds braved freezing temps to look at some ice in Franklin. Of course, it wasn’t the river ice or just any old ice. There were beautifully carved sculptures by some very talented folks at DiMartino Ice Company of Jeannette that were placed throughout one of the city’s parks.
Mother Nature appeared to cooperate with the display at least temperature wise.
She also managed to create some works of her own in the fridged weather.
From icicles to frost, expressions of the cold abounded.
At 4:56 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, a weather station at the Franklin Airport recorded that the temperature bottomed out at 1 degree.
The station reported the high for Saturday was 26 degrees with a windchill of 15 degrees.
From icicles to frost, expressions of the cold abounded.
At 4:56 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, a weather station at the Franklin Airport recorded that the temperature bottomed out at 1 degree.
The station reported the high for Saturday was 26 degrees with a windchill of 15 degrees.
   | However, that wasn’t technically the high for the day as southwest winds drove temps up to 29 degrees at 11:56 p.m. that night. While the temperatures cooperated for Saturday, Sunday was a different story. The station’s stats for Sunday, Feb. 5, proved that Mother Nature didn’t help extend the longevity of the ice sculptures or any of her own icy art. A high of 44 degrees was recorded. Meanwhile, by Monday morning some of the manmade structures had already succumbed to the warmup. There may have also had some human helping hands that made sure the icy compositions didn’t topple onto some unsuspecting bystanders as they melted. By midweek, the sculptures were pretty much nothing but memories. The same could have also been said about any ice structures nature had created. According to the weather station in Franklin, Monday, Feb. 6, started out warmer at 40 degrees at 12:56 a.m. and then by the end of the day dropped to 29 degrees. However, it was too late for ice sculptures and any of nature’s ice art. By Thursday, it was clear that any icy creations wouldn’t have survived any way. The National Weather station at the airport posted that at 7:56 p.m. the temperature was reported at 61 degrees. The weather service had already posted that at 1 p.m. Thursday's temperatures were 20 to 30 degrees above the average high for this time of year. Pittsburgh reached 70 degrees which topped a previous record of 68 degrees. |
The hike in temperature also let to the disappearance of many nature ice creations.
On my daily treks, countless different ice formations were observed during the cold snaps.
  | I spotted an interesting formation that mimicked the shape of an oak leaf. I was unsure whether the ice had formed around the leaf or if the sun had melted the ice in that pattern. The pattern contained some lines that were indicative of cat-ice.  An article posted on yahoo.com by Andrea Romano described the formations. “Cat-ice, which is marked by pretty “’contour lines’ that make swirls or concentric circles in puddles or other small bodies of water, is named because the thin ice could only potentially bear the weight of a light-footed and agile cat,” Romano posted. Thinking about the cat-ice I had viewed; I wasn’t so sure than any Applegate felines could cross it without crushing it. |
I was well aware that our family canines were capable of the destruction of cat-ice. As I tried to snap some photos, in the background I could hear many of the delicate formations being crushed under their paws.
Cat-ice is also known as shell ice. A post on squarespace.com said that "shell ice is a layer of ice that forms on top of a puddle. It is often widespread when it gets cold after a thaw has left puddles on the ice. It comes in two types."
The post continued with "Wet Shell Ice: Still has a puddle underneath. It usually looks a lot like new black ice. Dry shell ice: Has air underneath after the water drained away."
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The post went on to say that “Wet shell ice lasts only until the water freezes all the way through the puddle. Dry shell ice forms when the water drains away before the skin freezes all the way through. The dry shell is often held up with a network of thin crystals that form as the water drains. It often lasts until the next thaw.”
| Also in Mother Nature’s ice art collection was some frosted flair that included hoarfrost. AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski posted on AccuWeather.com about hoarfrost. Titled “What is hoarfrost?,” the article went into some detail on the weather phenomenon. “The term ‘hoarfrost’ is derived from the Old English meaning of frost resembling an old man's beard,” Sosnowski wrote. Sosnowski added that “frost and hoarfrost can only form when the air and objects are at or below freezing. However, while frost may form when the air is relatively dry, the air must be quite moist for hoarfrost to form.” Other sites mentioned that hoarfrost can also appear as featherlike or leaflike structures. These structures can be found on exposed plants or branches near open waterways. That’s exactly where I found several of the delicate forms. |    |
This year I wasn’t as dedicated in photographing the frost as I had been in years before.
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Usually, the process required me to take my gloves off in the frigid weather and change a lens.
Facebook memories from last year, showed me that I had went the extra mile to get the closer shots. I probably even had waded into the creek.
Facebook memories from last year, showed me that I had went the extra mile to get the closer shots. I probably even had waded into the creek.
Earlier this year, some of the ground frost gave way and I slipped into the creek. When the canines saw me crawling on all fours out of the stream, they decided that I since I was down to their level that it was time to wrestle. I was not in a wrestling mood at that time.
Back to the icy memories, I was reminded that three years ago in February, there was substantial amount of freezing rain which provided an icy coating on everything.
While the warming weather took its toll on both man-made and nature ice, the plants seemed to welcome it.
While the warming weather took its toll on both man-made and nature ice, the plants seemed to welcome it.
Skunk cabbage, which is known as one of Pennsylvania’s first wildflowers to bloom in the spring, was popping up along the open creek beds and wetlands.
However, skunk cabbage has a little trick to help it deal with the frozen ground. The plant uses thermogenesis to produce heat.
However, skunk cabbage has a little trick to help it deal with the frozen ground. The plant uses thermogenesis to produce heat.
“During the winter when temperatures are freezing, the flower buds can warm up to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, which melts the snow around the plant,” according to a post on nwf.org.
The post went on to say that while the plant loses it leaves annually, the plant itself can live up to 20 years.
The post went on to say that while the plant loses it leaves annually, the plant itself can live up to 20 years.
Skunk cabbage wasn’t the only thing breaking through the frozen ground.
In the yard, snowflake flower leaves were seen among the grass. A few daffodil sprouts brought some green color to the dead leaves.
While the weather warms, there are still some definite chances to view some of nature’s icy art as the night lows continue to dip below freezing.
That’s just the nature of things ‘round here.
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