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
Split image showing a night-time UK rain radar map with blue precipitation bands, city temperature markers, and a rain cloud icon on the left, and a star-filled night sky with the Milky Way and a silhouetted telescope on the right, divided by a curved white line.
Sunday 21 December 2025

Ursid meteor shower

Wish upon a Christmas star
Tsunami damage
Friday 26 December 2025

On this day...

The 2004 Boxing Day tsunami
Split image showing a family and children playing and sledding on a snowy field with winter hills on the left, and a UK weather forecast map on the right with sun and cloud icons, city temperatures, and cloud cover over northern Scotland, divided by a curved white line.
Wednesday 24 December 2025

Unlikely this year

Defining a White Christmas
All weather news
This might also interest you
Weather graphic showing rain and wind fields over the Canary Islands and a central warning symbol.
Friday 12 December 2025

Storm and rain

Turbulent weather in the Canary Islands
plit image showing a double rainbow over a rocky shoreline on the left and sheep grazing in a green field under stormy clouds on the right.
Sunday 2 November 2025

Your weather - Your shots

Mixed conditions on an unsettled week
Split weather map showing UK wind speeds in orange-red shades up to 40 mph on the left and warning levels in green-yellow on the right, with a central wind warning sign.
Wednesday 22 October 2025

Warnings active

Storm Benjamin impacts the UK
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwitteryouTubelinkList