Aging Salty Ice

When ice forms in salty water, it starts out mushy and porous. Salt does not freeze neatly into ice’s crystalline structure, so the forming ice has pores and gaps where salty brine gathers. As the ice ages, more brine is pushed out and gradually convects downward, due to its greater density. Over time, this makes the ice layer thinner but more solid, with fewer pores. You can see a timelapse of the process in a laboratory experiment below. (Image credit: sea ice – C. Matias, experiment – F. Wang et al.; research credit: F. Wang et al.)

NORTHLAND FORECAST FOR MARCH 18, 2026:

A #clipper system will bring light #snow #showers and a bit of #freezing 3drizzle through the #Northland Tuesday night. Total #snowfall will be in the 1 to 2 inch range with low #temperatures in the teens.

Wednesday will see the #spring-like #warmth return with highs in the upper 30s and low 40s with a light #breeze and mostly #cloudy skies.

VIDEO/DISCUSSION: fox21online.com/weather

#wxtooter #wx #weather #forecast #MNwx #WIwx #UPwx

The Skipped Morning Ride

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Some people would have skipped this morning's ride because it was cold. The temperature was forecast to be minus two degrees celsius and with the wind chill factor, and regional differences it could have felt like minus 5°c or cooler.

I skipped because the cold that has been annoying me for days is still around. Yesterday I was feeling much better and I had a big appetite,I thought it would be good to have another day of recovery.

Optimistic Recharge

Yesterday I put the cycling radar, and lights to charge, as well as the head unit. I could have gone for the ride if I had felt perfect. It's because I still don't feel one hundred percent that I skipped. I signed out last night.

I notice that other people on social media have skipped bike rides or taken short breaks due to them not feeling one hundred percent, either.

Good on Saturday

The good news is that Saturday the weather should be good, which means that group rides should be possible. The bad news is that shopaholics will be on the roads, in their cars, in a bad mood. This could make cycling more dangerous.

Upcoming Snow

I noticed that snow is announced for everywhere in Switzerland, even down into the plains. I look forward to that. It would be nice to have a real winter, rather than the boring cold that we have had for years, with three or four days of snow, if that.

More Cycling than Driving This Year

I revised my cycling goal for the year back down to 5500 kilometres, rather than 6000. I also noticed that I drove the car 2600km in theory, whereas I cycled 5200km. I'm happy with that ratio.

And Finally

With masks and common courtesy people would not be recovering from colds at the moment and we would all be healthy, or at least not infected with colds. I could have been social today, if not for the antisocial people spreading colds and coughs at this time of year. The irony is that I only saw glimpses of people that were properly sick.

With the freezing weather, we should be healthier again.

#cold #cycling #freezing #seasons #temperature #weather #winter

Happy #Monday afternoon from the #Northland!

We have a wide range of #temperatures across the region, from just below #freezing to the 50s.

Enjoy the #sunshine when you see it. We have multiple chances of #snow #showers passing through the rest of the week.

#wxtooter #weather #wx #MNwx #WIwx #UPwx

It's been a while since I reported on our own #boat. Before coming to Cheshire I did manage to call in on the #mooring and remove the #heaters from her as, with any luck, there won't be any more #cold snaps that justify trying to stop the boat from #freezing.

She really is beginning to look as if she needs a really good #clean. We had promised ourselves she'd be lifted out last #winter = but the house move got in the way and it was never arranged.

#boatsthattoot #norfolk #norfolkbroads