Looking south over the Lyth Valley toward Morecambe Bay, a hard frost
Hurray! Seasonal weather, at last. A starry night and a hard frost at sunrise on New Year's Eve.
Up on Scout Scar escarpment the low winter sun takes a while to rise high enough to reach the Lyth Valley. When it does, light is fitful, with a sudden blaze of intense colour- then pallor. A pall of mist marks out the course of the RIver Kent and light down in the valley is misty. There's a hard white frost to the south, where pastures are saturated. Further north, pastures are brighter, greener, showing a slight rise above sea-level. Sudden changes in light are dramatic, and beautiful.
Up on Scout Scar escarpment the low winter sun takes a while to rise high enough to reach the Lyth Valley. When it does, light is fitful, with a sudden blaze of intense colour- then pallor. A pall of mist marks out the course of the RIver Kent and light down in the valley is misty. There's a hard white frost to the south, where pastures are saturated. Further north, pastures are brighter, greener, showing a slight rise above sea-level. Sudden changes in light are dramatic, and beautiful.
The fells are hidden with only a few glimpses of golden light. It is not a clear day but the play of light is magical.
To the south, toward Morecambe Bay, the pallor of ground frost and an evocative mistiness. To the north, along the escarpment, there are sudden bursts of colour.
Where there are drifts of loess there are patches of heather, in sunlight and shadow. Sometimes the sun sparkles frost on seeding heather, sometimes the frost has melted and heather shows in rich winter colours. My heather sequence shows something of the structure of frost crystals.
To the south, toward Morecambe Bay, the pallor of ground frost and an evocative mistiness. To the north, along the escarpment, there are sudden bursts of colour.
Where there are drifts of loess there are patches of heather, in sunlight and shadow. Sometimes the sun sparkles frost on seeding heather, sometimes the frost has melted and heather shows in rich winter colours. My heather sequence shows something of the structure of frost crystals.
From vistas to minute detail. From the topmost frost crystals on a stem of heather there are strands of spider silk descending.
To someone who likes a challenge- how many threads of spider silk can to find in this image?
2 January 2026 A very cold morning with an Arctic wind. The atmosphere was drier and, despite the bitter chill, there was little frost. Crinkle Crags were crested with a hint of white, but most of the fells were free of snow although there was probably ice underfoot. Impossible to tell at this distance.
2 January 2026 A very cold morning with an Arctic wind. The atmosphere was drier and, despite the bitter chill, there was little frost. Crinkle Crags were crested with a hint of white, but most of the fells were free of snow although there was probably ice underfoot. Impossible to tell at this distance.
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