abstracts in ice

26 January 2013.  It rained.  In a "normal" January, precipitation comes in the form of snow here at 7,800 feet elevation.  Although it is not frequent, high country rain does fall in January.  This weekend, warm air off the coast of Baja, California pumped into New Mexico, and uninhibited by the Four Corners high pressure area that has been persistently blocking it, shed its moist cargo in the form of rain.  It worked its way into snow and ice that covered the ground, creating some fascinating abstractions.

Even in a confined space, rain water works its way under the ice, forming shelves, tiny caves, outlets, and wonderful bubbles. 

Undulations

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image

remnant abstracts

Although the politicians and other powers that be in these United States of America desperately try to avoid the words "global climate change" or "global weather instability", and some still are quick to make jokes about "global warming", meteorologists ventured into muddy waters.  Quite a number dared to say that over 4,000 high temperature records were broken, in the quietest of ways indicating that something is amiss.  The record high temperature for March 21st in the town of Pellston, Minnesota, was shattered this week by 32 degrees fahrenheit.  In the high country of New Mexico, temperatures in the 70s made everyone feel that spring had indeed arrived.  We were enjoying it but feeling oddly uneasy.

Spring is always an unsettled season in New Mexico.  We had nearly the full bag of conditions this week - warm days, nights still be low freezing, spits of rain and snow, and naturally, wind and dust.  Despite the fact that mountain snow is melting quickly, there are still remnants of the winter season past.

These abstracts reflect all the weather of the first week of spring.

until next Monday,

DB

a passion for the image