Poconip, at Minus 9 degrees
Location: Martis Valley, Truckee, California; Hwy 267
Created: 02/03/2014 7:39:16 am
Camera: EOS Canon 7D
Lens: EF24-105 f/4.0L IS @ 35mm
Exposure Compensation: -1.33 stops
Aperture: f/13; 1/2000 sec.; ISO 320
Truckee, California, is known for its cold temps that dip normally lower than most places on earth. Freezing temperatures have been observed in every month of the year in Truckee, and there are an average of 228 nights per year with lows of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower – seven more than Fairbanks, and only eight fewer than Nome. The smoke rising from the cabins, and stratified low flume along the end of the valley, is trying to escape the grip of the chill. The “poconip”, ice crystals encapsulated everything, proof that the temperature was actually only -9 degrees. All the time, trying to keep the camera, (and myself) warm enough to function. If you haven’t experienced poconip, or ice fog, as seen surrounding the barbed wire, its beautiful. It is a kind of frost that forms when humid air comes into abrupt contact with very cold air, and snow, on the ground. It tends to only form on very cold, clear nights with little wind. Why? The lack of cloud cover means that there’s no insulating atmospheric blanket to slow heat loss, so snow and moisture near the ground gets very cold, very fast. Northstar Ski Resort’s backside’s ski trails, called Lookout Mountain, are in the background, preparing for another superb day of skiing on the slopes.
