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What signs of animal life can you see when there is no snow on the ground? ![]()
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Hoar frost forms on clear nights when warm, moist air comes in contact with a surface that is below freezing. Upon hitting the cold surface, the moisture instantly freezes, creating the frost. This process can continue, causing the frost to grow longer throughout the night. ![]()
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This type of frost can be found just about anywhere but is most often spotted on plants, leaves, and the branches of trees. Vents and heaters provide enough moisture to produce hoar frost as well, making this type of frost a common sight around human settlements. ![]()
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Another interesting place where hoar frost occurs is at the entrance to animal burrows. The entrance to an animal’s burrow acts as a vent for the animal's breath. The animal’s warm, moist exhale rises slowly through the vent, hitting the cold ground and leaf litter at its exit, forming hoar frost around the perimeter of the hole. Evidence that there is indeed an animal resting in that den.![]()
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Next time you’re out on a cold winter morning, look for hoar frost forming on plants and trees, and even in the leaf litter on the ground.![]()
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What signs of winter do you see? Visit us for a hike or take a walk around your neighborhood looking for cyclical events influenced by seasonal changes.![]()
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Photo: Cara Erickson, Aldo Leopold Nature Center![]()
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#PhenologyFriday #HoarFrost #WIEnviroEd #NatureIsEverywhere #NatureIsForEveryone #EveryBodyOutside
