Black Ice
Black ice is a phenomenon that has fascinated me since I first experienced it. That was many years ago, and I also thought at the time how great it would be to be able to document the ice from the air. But drones were still in their infancy, and it was unrealistic to charter a helicopter for this purpose. I could not have imagined that drones would become commonplace so quickly and that my dream could come true relatively easily.
The lakes in the Upper Engadine (still) freeze over every year, but black ice does not form every year because the formation depends on a few factors:
- no precipitation may fall during the freezing process
- the less wind and current there is, the more regularly the surface freezes
- of course, it takes a few days of very low temperatures
- according to MeteoSwiss, the cooling from October onwards is essential for the freezing of the Upper Engadine lakes
This year the lakes in the Upper Engadine froze very late, which was mainly due to the excessively warm temperatures in October, then also in December and January, as well as the very strong north wind in January.
Snow fell relatively early this year, but in very small quantities, so it was partly blown away by the wind. The following very warm temperatures caused the ice surface to melt again and refreeze overnight. However, this no longer produces the same smooth ice as at the beginning. As the ice continues to expand during the freezing process, the surface also becomes more irregular over time.
Of course, it often happens that a layer of ice that is not yet stable is already covered by snow, in which case one can only hope for black ice next year.
The pictures were taken on different days in 2023, in different weather.
Every year I am amazed again at how the quality of light changes in the depths of winter.
Ice structures, partly seen from the ground, but partly so large that they can only be fully grasped from the air.
Ice skates are of course particularly suitable for discovering the world of ice. Unfortunately, this pleasure is not entirely without danger...
Various scenes along the shore.