Rimed Trees near Springer, NM
February 12, 2010
by John Farley
While driving from Santa Fe, NM to the National Storm Chaser Convention in Denver on February 12, I encountered some rather spectacularly rimed trees a little north of Springer, NM along I-25. The rime formed on the trees due to fog with temperatures well below freezing, resulting in the supercooled droplets of the fog freezing onto the trees. Fortunately, the fog had cleared well before I passed through the area, but with temperatures in the teens and little wind, the rime remained on the trees and the deep blue sky provided for a spectacular backdrop. The low temperatures were undoubtedly helped along by the deep snow cover of about a foot and a half from a series of recent snowstorms in New Mexico's northeast highlands - the area around Springer had considerably more snow and lower temperatures than either farther south around Las Vegas and Santa Fe or farther north from Raton into Colorado. Here are a few of the pictures I took:
All photos copyright 2010 by John E. Farley
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