Autumn frost.
Autumn frost.
Autumn frost has appeared for the first time this season. It is a welcome change to rain, to see the white dusting sparking in the morning sunlight. It transforms the outside world into something magical. The fallen autumn leaves; the blades of grass; the ageing bracken, the left over blackberries; and the vibrant yellow gorse all look like something from an enchanted kingdom.
Apparently, according to the Met Office website, there are many different types of frost. The one that I experienced was a ground frost. This type of frost occurs when plants and trees have a surface temperature below freezing. There are other frosts, such as a hoar frost and air frost. A hoar frost occurs on trees, for example, when the air cools to the dew point and, because the surface temperature of the tree is already below freezing, ice crystals are formed. An air frost occurs if the air temperature is below freezing, more than a metre above the ground.
There is nothing nicer than going for an early morning walk in the cold, spotting all of the frosty treasures, and then going back inside with a good excuse to warm up. Sitting down with a cup of steaming hot chocolate, closing your eyes and remembering all of the sparkling moments.
