Beauty after freezing rain

By Aaron Horrell

We had a few periods of freezing rain this month in Southeast Missouri. Freezing rain is the term used when rain falls from the sky and freezes on objects that are below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Trees are at great risk during and shortly after ice storms. Ice adds to the weight of the limbs, and wind increases the odds of limbs being broken. I have witnessed whole trees being blown down in the past. Ice flies everywhere when the tree crashes down.

My photo here shows ice covering a limb and flower bud on a wild dogwood tree. This bud will produce a wonderful white flower in April, but for a moment in time the ice encased limb is very beautiful in February.