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A comment on Cool ice formations my friend discovered on his deck this morning.

Re:Cool ice formations my friend discovered on his deck this... by tobr on Sunday February 06, 2022 @12:00PM (#30234321)
This made me remember a strange phenomenon I noticed a winter day a few years ago. In a park with some trees there was consistently less snow coverage in a line going away from each tree, always in the same westward direction. Basically following a shadow of the tree. Looking around at other objects I also noticed the phenomenon next to some signs and metal poles.

What could explain this? I could understand if there were more snow or ice in the shadow, as the ground would be colder there, but why would there be less?

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Re:Cool ice formations my friend discovered on his deck this... by minitoar on Sunday February 06, 2022 @12:22PM (#30234574)
Possibly less vegetation in shadow of these objects, and therefore less insulation between snow and warmer earth.
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Re:Cool ice formations my friend discovered on his deck this... by djrogers on Sunday February 06, 2022 @08:12PM (#30238927)
Wind. The trees and other structures shielded the downwind area from snow that doesn’t fall straight down.
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Re:Cool ice formations my friend discovered on his deck this... by sjg007 on Sunday February 06, 2022 @12:14PM (#30234471)
It's probably windy and the snow piles up on the windy side of the tree.
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Re:Cool ice formations my friend discovered on his deck this... by AYBABTME on Sunday February 06, 2022 @12:32PM (#30234712)
Probably prevailing wind conditions.
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Re:Cool ice formations my friend discovered on his deck this... by Philip-J-Fry on Sunday February 06, 2022 @12:45PM (#30234864)
Probably was snowing gently at some point and then later on it got windy and was blowing west.
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Re:Cool ice formations my friend discovered on his deck this... by quercusa on Sunday February 06, 2022 @12:12PM (#30234453)
The trees reflecting afternoon sun?
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