IMAGES OF COLD

When I left the house this afternoon it was 1° .   My husband had told me about a photo op he had passed on his way in to work and I had no trouble finding it.  Steam from some heating vents across the street blew over and against this fence, freezing it and everything in its path.  I was only there for maybe 30 minutes max and by the time I returned to the truck, my fingertips were so cold they felt as if they had each been hammered mercilessly one by one.  I definitely need to invest in some good cold-weather photographers gloves.

This is just one of the many trees that had become encrusted in ice from the steam.  At one point I slipped and fell against the tree.  The ice shattered and it sounded like glass falling.  I half expected the tree to break but it just shook off the splintered ice and bounced back to its original position.  I'm sure I provided the construction crew across the street with entertainment as I slipped and slid across the icy slope but I was bound and determined to get my shots.  I actually only fell once, despite all of the close calls.  Fortunately I was too numb from the cold to feel anything (except for my fingertips!)

After thawing off a little bit I went to the reservoir.  The water was completely iced over and covered with a blanket of snow except for where a pipe emptied runoff from the other reservoirs into it.  There the water still flowed and steamed.  The forecast predicts an overnight low of -11°.  Judging by the clouds surrounding the mountains in the distance it won't be long before the temperatures begin dropping.