Same View, Same Angle, Different Days

Here is the stupendous view from atop Mt. Apgar, from the 20th of January. The view clearly shows the beauty of Lake McDonald, which is over 2,000 feet below. The mountains in the background are showing a lot of snow and there is a substantial amount of snow on Mt. Apgar, judging from the foreground. The dark, ominous clouds are the leading edge of a storm system that is full of snow. 

It is interesting that snow clouds tend to look so dark, though there is a good reason for it. Ice crystals block a lot more sunlight than rain droplets do.

This is the same view as in the first picture but taken 3 days later. The storm is in full force in this image, so nothing can be seen except Mr. Apgar and the clouds. What also can't be seen very well is that it is snowing in this picture. Several inches have already fallen from the previous image, but most of the snow is actually falling on lower locations.

Again, the same spot and angle, but six days after the last picture and nine days after the first one. The air is crystal-clear, but none of the valley or the lake can be seen due to dense clouds that are blanketing it. The storm has already gone through and what you are looking at is actually extremely dense ice-fog, rather than storm clouds.

This fog is caused by the fact that the ground is much warmer than the air. Soil doesn't give up its heat easily. Because of that, the air temperature is not only much colder than the ground, it is actually quite a bit below freezing. The air is still full of moisture, though, so it produces fog, but the fog freezes on anything it touches.

Still, this is a rather cool picture, isn't it? Someone has been walking around, admiring the view, too.