Cracks

I know what your thinking. I really do. You're thinking, "More snowy winter pictures." That part is true, but there is more to the pictures today than just that. We have had our most constant snowfall of the winter these past few days. But before that, we had several sunny warm days in a row.

What does all of this mean for these pictures though? Well, it hasn't really gotten very cold, despite all of this snowfall. The sunshine we had went a long way in melting our previous snowfall. It was almost gone, but now it's back, with so much more. But this time the warmer weather has left us with some very wet snow.

For those of you who haven't really experienced much snow, it can go from being extremely wet to almost as dry as dirt. The warmer it is, the wetter it is. The snow isn't the only thing that can get wetter as it gets warmer. Ice will also do the same thing.

These dark spots on the lake are wet spots in the ice that have soaked through the layer of snow on top. This is strong evidence that it is very unsafe to walk out there. Cracks could soon form in the ice. Maybe they already have. This means that the warm weather has been very effective in melting the ice on this lake.

We only really have one more month of winter here. This melting ice could very well be a first indication of spring. All of the snow says that may not be true. But it still hasn't gotten colder, and winter is running out of time. A month from now the melting will be here for good.

Notice the darker spot on the right side of the melted area. That could very well be the first crack. Small cracks make big cracks. Big cracks make big fun on this lake, especially when it happens when someone can hear them. Yes, I said hear them. Being near a lake while the ice is breaking up can be very exciting. I'm going to try and record it for you this year.

These may be winter pictures of a frozen lake, but there is really so much more here than just that. The possible beginnings of spring. The potential for a future exciting adventure with an ice quake. And just getting to see the beginning of these cracks. There are wet spots all over the lake right now. Soon the whole lake will be wet again.