Ice

The Appalachians often protect us from the worst of the storms that rake the Midwest. Yesterday and last night, however, the winter storm that roared across Kentucky leapt the mountains and visited Floyd. Beginning about 2:00 p.m., the rain began and the temperature nailed itself at 32F. It rarely rains really hard here but the rain pounding on the skylight woke me several times in the wee hours of the morn.

At 7:00 a.m. today, precipitation had finally ceased and the sky was crystalline clear. The woods, too, were crystal like - encased by ice. As the sun warmed the air, the sound was as if it was raining again, water pouring off of the frozen limbs in cascades. In less than two hours, the warmth of the sun had raised the temperature to 47F and no vestige remained of the morning's crystal palaces. (remember that you can click on an image to enlarge it)