Frozen Ice Waves Are A Colorado Wintertime Phenomenon

Coloradans have mixed emotions about winter. On the one hand, winter means fresh powder and epic skiing for all, but on the other hand, winter means cold and worse traffic and road conditions than ever before. No matter which camp you fall in, there is one thing that we can all agree on: Wintertime in Colorado is magical, as demonstrated by such phenomena as these frozen ice waves:

Now happening across Rocky Mountain National Park and other parts of Colorado, frozen ice waves are an unbelievable wintertime phenomenon that can be caused by freezing temperatures and strong winds.

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How can these two seemingly regular weather occurrences cause such a unique phenomenon? In the case of the iconic Great Lakes (pictured), where ice waves are even more common, it happens when freezing temperatures, strong winds, and water combine, which form literal waves of chunky ice.

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Is this the case for Colorado’s ice waves? According to Meteorologist Greg Hanson (who spoke with The Denver Channel), the cause for Colorado’s waves is more likely melted snowdrifts that re-froze, resulting in these all-natural art-like sculptures.

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Seriously… is this real life?!

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Do you want to get out and see the incredible ice waves for yourself? There are currently several places around Colorado that have reported this must-see occurrence, including the Lake of Glass at Rocky Mountain National Park and The Loch in the Glacier Gorge (pictured).

AllTrails/Jeremy Shelton

If you are wondering if you will see this phenomenon close to home, you just may, as there is still a lot more winter to be had and The Farmers Almanac Predicts Winter 2020 In Colorado Will Have Frigid Temps And Above Average Amounts Of Snow.

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Have you seen any ice waves around Colorado? Let us know where in the comments! For even more Only in Colorado wintertime fun, check out these 11 Things No One Tells You About Surviving A Colorado Winter.