The Natural Phenomenon In Mississippi That Only Happens During Wintertime
By Daniella DiRienzo|Published December 10, 2018
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Daniella DiRienzo
Author
Though Daniella was born in New York and has lived in a couple of other states, Mississippi has been her home for more than 30 years. After graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi, Daniella began to hone her writing skills through various internships. In the years since, she’s had the privilege of having her articles appear in several publications, such as the Mississippi-based Parents & Kids Magazine. She’s also had the honor of interviewing actress Sela Ward for The Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience.
Blooming flowers and winter don’t usually go together. However, there’s an exception to almost every rule – and in this case, it’s frost flowers.The temperature has to be just right for the unique flowers to bloom, so spotting one is a real treat. Read on to learn more about this wonderful, wintry phenomenon.
Both beautiful and rare, not many people have seen or even know about frost flowers.
Dubbed "nature’s unusual ice sculptures," frost flowers form and disappear in such a short span of time, catching a glimpse of one requires great timing, perfect temperatures, and a bit of luck.
The unique flowers form only when the air temperature is below freezing and the ground temperature is warm enough for the plant’s root system to be active.
To get a better understanding of the formation process, think of how cold temperatures can cause pipes to burst. It’s the same concept, except in this case, the pipes are plant stems. When temperatures drop, water and sap in the stem freezes and expands, causing the stem to tear. In the mean time, plant juices flow from the roots up to the stem. The juices then push through tears in the stem, at which point the cold air freezes them.
According to WLOX meteorologist Eric Jeansonne, needle ice forms "when the air above the ground is freezing and the soil remains unfrozen. Moisture in the ground is pulled up to the surface through capillary action and it freezes. As more water is pulled to the surface, it pushes the ice out and creates tiny needles of ice that look like ice pillars to stick out of the soil."
Last year, both frost flowers and needle ice were spotted in Mississippi.
Weather is, of course, a factor. And since icy formations only last until the sun’s warm rays melt them away, mornings are the best time to search for frost flowers and needle ice.
Watch the video below to learn more about this cold weather phenomenon.
So, have ever spotted any frost flowers? What about needle ice? Did you even know about them? Tell us in the comments section.
