Home / Editor's Pick /

A rare surprise in nature: Ever spotted a "ghost apple" before?

12:00
7 January 2024

A rare surprise in nature
Ever spotted a "ghost apple" before?

Settings for external content

Privacy policy

Have you ever seen or heard of such a thing called a "ghost apple"? If not, you are not the only one.

This type of phenomena is extremely rare and was last seen in Michigan, USA, in February 2019. On this occasion, the ghost apples were spotted when a farmer, Andrew Sietsema, started pruning his apple trees.

It was spotted the night after freezing rain covered his orchard in the Fruit Ridge area of Kent County, Michigan, in ice. While we have had freezing rain before in the UK and Ireland, there have not been reports of this!

Sietsema said freezing rain had engulfed his rotting apples leaving them with an icy shell. Upon pruning the trees, while some apples fell to the ground, the rotting mush of others simply slipped out of the bottom of the hollow icy shell leaving behind the ghost apple.

Have you ever witnessed freezing rain? It produces very hazardous conditions, but is beautiful to see as it coats the surroundings. You can send in your pictures via our uploader for us to share!

Weather & Radar editorial team
More on the topic
Weather map showing high pressure over Western Europe and clouds over Central Europe.
Wednesday 8 October 2025

Omega block

Pressure over UK shapes Europe's weather
Comet "Lemmon" (C/2025 A6) in the sky at the beginning of October
Friday 10 October 2025

Rare visitors this month

Two comets visible at once
Weather radar shows heavy snowfall on Thursday in the Scandinavian mountains.
Wednesday 15 October 2025

First onset of winter

Heavy snowfall in Scandinavia
All weather news
This might also interest you
Split weather map showing the UK and Ireland. The left side illustrates strong winds circulating around a low-pressure system, with gusts of 20–30 mph highlighted in orange and yellow. The right side shows radar imagery with widespread blue rain bands and patches of thunderstorms, especially over northern England and Scotland.
Thursday 28 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Remaining widely unsettled
Mammatus clouds
Thursday 21 August 2025

Unusual view

Mammatus clouds over Ireland
Weather map of the UK and Ireland showing scattered showers with cloudy patches across much of the region, especially around western and northern areas. Sunshine symbols appear over London, Cardiff, and parts of southern England, while temperatures range from 17°C to 18°C in most places. Areas of heavier rain are visible over the Atlantic to the west.
Friday 29 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Unsettled conditions into the weekend
All articles
Weather & Radar

www.weatherandradar.ie

facebooktwitteryouTubeContact uslinkList
Privacy Policy | Legal info | Accessibility statement