Wisconsin's first brush of winter

Driving to work today was a mixed treat. There was, of course, the slippery ice and snow covered roads to contend with, and the radio was telling me of the dozens of accidents and rollovers that were occuring. There was also the sheer beauty of seeing every tree coated with rime frost. There were many places I wanted to stop, but chose wisely and did not. When I got to the industrial park where I work, I contented myself with what I found there.



The temperature this morning was around 6 degrees (F) when I was driving in, and the dampness in the air (such as it was) coated the trees with a type of frost called rime. I was hoping as I saw it while driving that it was a hoar frost (little spikes of ice) but no. This is a softer, thicker type of frost, and for the few hours it lasts before the sun melts it, it is really lovely.





And from the break room window at work:



I really enjoy how the snow sifted through the slats in the table, and even formed corresponding ridges in the snow under the table. The gaps in the snow match the gaps in the fence nicely, too. Beyond the fence, the morning sun was igniting the pine trees. The sun didn't hit that patio area for another two hours or so.