It may be common knowledge that water freezes at 32°F, and that water, unlike most things, expands as it freezes. We, as residents of winter, have a complicated relationship with ice. What glory it brings when fishing and skating, and what frustration, when it covers our roads and windshields. What you may not know is that the ice on our ponds and lakes (though lately it has been looking a bit thin…) actually began to form in late summer of 2015. As temperatures begin to drop, the top layer of water cools, becoming denser and sinking to the bottom, this process continues (called turnover) until the entire body of water rests at 39.2°F. This is MAXIMUM DENSITY! After this point, ice begins to form in little discs, which reach out and connect to one another. Each layer of ice takes more cooling than the previous. Strong, smooth, black ice, is formed slowly with little wind. More commonly, we see white, slightly uneven ice, formed from wind and waves.
For a beautiful note on ice, its magic, and memories, check out this article from Northern Woodlands: http://