Captured on camera: Rime ice produces winter wonderland

The magical wintry phenomenon of rime ice was recently captured in Gloucestershire, amidst the bitter cold.

As winter tightens its grip, nature unveils a captivating meteorological phenomenon – freezing fog. Unlike its more common counterpart, radiation fog, freezing fog emerges when temperatures plummet below freezing.

This intriguing weather occurrence mirrors the formation of regular radiation fog, in that it forms under clear skies and light winds, but with a frosty twist.

In freezing fog, super-cooled water droplets suspended in the air remain in liquid form, despite the sub-zero conditions.

When these water droplets make contact with surfaces below freezing, delicate, white, feathery ice crystals form, known as rime ice.

The rime ice will also only extend in one singular direction. This is due to its formation on wind-exposed vertical surfaces, on the windward side of objects.

Witnessing rime ice is a rarity at lower altitudes in the UK and Ireland, with unique atmospheric conditions required, aligning factors of sub-zero temperatures, high humidity, and light winds.

Conditions in the video above were captured 200 metres above sea level in Gloucestershire, as freezing fog painted the landscape with delicate rime ice.

Have you ever seen rime before? You can send in your wintry shots to our uploader here.