'Like an ice world': Frosty conditions perfect for photographers in Saskatoon

Photographers have been taking advantage of the recent conditions to create captivating scenery in Saskatoon.

“It looks nice. It looks beautiful like an ice world,” Oscar, who is visiting from China, said.

It’s a result of rime frost, says meteorologist Terri Lang with Environment and Climate Change Canada, formed because of tiny droplets of water in the air.

“Those tiny little droplets can stay droplets, as liquid, up to a temperature of minus 25 just because of the surface tension around the little drop,” she said.

“As soon as they encounter something that's below freezing, they'll freeze to it, and that includes trees, your car, buildings, power lines at roads, etc.”

Manager of Don’s Photo Glen Grambo says photographers he knows have been out snapping up the eye-catching landscapes.

“It's been an incredible last couple of weeks for it,” he said.

“Definitely photographers are around taking pictures of it because I think it's extremely rare that it lasts this long for us.”

Grambo says lower light is best for capturing pictures of the frost.

“Conditions outside, they are good in the sun in the wintertime, but I think they may be even better in the overcast. Less shadowing, you can see the frost, the shape of the trees,” he said.

Lang says rime frost is able to cling to trees because of a lack of wind, and temperatures that have stayed below freezing, and Saskatoon is in for both of those occurrences this weekend.

“We are expecting some wind to come along, particularly on Sunday,” she said.

“We also are looking for the temperature to actually go above zero for the first time in a very long time.”