OK the photo above probably doesn't look much different to the photo in my previous post. But if you click on the photo to enlarge it you will see that the cloud in the foreground is a light grey and sitting on top of the sea - and this isn't actually cloud, it is, apparently, something called "artic sea smoke". Well really it's a sort of sea fog but it occurs above the sea when there is ice floating on the sea (or presumably the sea is very cold) and the air is stable and cold. It was amazing to watch this rolling up Scapa Flow the other day. Wonderful, weird weather!
Thankfully a bit of a thaw is finally setting in. Yesterday there was a lot of dripping and it's continued today. Unfortunately at night it freezes so is pretty lethal underfoot (or tyre). I'm not venturing too far until it clears. Though I did go over to Stromness yesterday having got a lift from a neighbour with a 4-wheel drive car to take me to and from the pier. The pier in Stromness was very slippery, but the main street in the town was fine and I stocked up on some fresh fruit and veg (don't want to get scurvy), plus one or two goodies, caught up with a friend or two and then returned home to hibernate again till the weather warms up!
Never knew about the 'sea smkoe' phenomenon until now. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteStay warm and upright.
I'd not heard of it before either but apparently it was reported on Shetland Radio this week and someone alerted me to it.
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