HOAR FROST

Yesterday, it was relatively warm but still below freezing.  Then the Canadians shared a cold front with us and overnight the atmosphere was clear and cold.  I awoke to -2°F. (-18.8°C.) and those are perfect conditions for the deposition of Hoar Frost.....where ice crystals from atmospheric humidity deposit directly on very cold surfaces.  Typically, the ice crystals resemble thick ice "fur" but that requires time to accumulate to a depth.  That time came late and there wasn't enough of it to deposit a think layer of crystals.
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It didn't last long on the dark branches of my dwarf lilacs for as soon as the sun came up it started to warm above freezing...but, for a short while, we were treated to sunlight making the ice look shiny in the branches.