Needle Ice

March 18, 2026

Early yesterday morning, and again this morning, just waiting to be discovered, Needle Ice, covering a large area beneath the trimmed stumps of Beautyberry. Those stumps just waiting for a signal to begin leafing out.

Needle Ice happens when ground temperatures are above 32°F and air temperatures are below 32°F, capillary action brings moisture up into the cold air and these strands of ice occur. They sometimes lift pieces of soil or pebbles up. Generally they are one to two inches tall. And beautiful.

Nature is amazing.

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Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.