Frost Beards

Several years ago, Wayne and I discovered an unusual phenomenon while on a quad ride. It's called frost beard or flowers. In our area, it's most often seen on fallen alder trees and branches.

The frost formations occur in freezing weather before the ground is frozen. Moisture trapped under the bark or rising in the stem expands, causing long, thin cracks to form.


Water is then drawn through these cracks and freezes. As the process continues, it pushes thin ice strands further from the stem, causing the beard or flower appearance to form. Here's an interesting video by Chris Karrow on YouTube of how frost flowers and beards are formed. Have you ever seen a frost beard or flower? -- Margy