I was working very early Monday morning on a project and grading papers, when I realized that the wind had gone calm and we were finally having a radiational cooling night. It was 15 at BHM at 3 am, and I’ve always wanted to see the Warrior River frozen over. So, after a 10 days of cold temperatures, I decided this may be the morning. I kept working through 530 am, put on 5 shirts, a vest, 3 pairs of pants, and a coat, and started driving. The temperature according to my car thermometer got as low as 8 near Birmingport, and it was 12 when I arrived at Bluff Creek around 700 am.
The river was not frozen over, only ice around the edges. But, the water temperature out near the main channel was 44, and with an air temp of 12, you get some serious water vapor release from the water and rising air. This vapor condenses as supercooled water droplets in the air (freezing fog), and then when the fog comes in contact with any surface (trees, docks, plants), it freezes on contact, forming ice through a process called rime icing. It was beautiful in the trees and looked like snow. The pictures look more like they came from Canada/Alaska than from The Warrior River in Alabama. The piece of ice in my hand is a frozen piece of Bluff Creek!
5 am temps (MesoWest)
