See it for yourself -- Icemageddon 2017/18!

The ice storm started with a typical coating of ice. Usually, we call this a silver thaw because freezing rain is the transition from an arctic event to our normal wet, rainy winter weather. This time, it was the main event, and very localized where the cold air from the Fraser Gap has it's greatest influence in northern Whatcom County...But when it began, it looked like silver thaws we had seen before.

But then, it kept going. The temps did not rise above freezing, and the rain kept coming, and eventually was heavy, coating everything with more and more ice! It was no longer a silver thaw, but an Ice Storm! When the precip finally stopped, the temp remained low for several days.

The neighbors poplars got shredded!

When the sun came out, the sparkles were astounding...and more than my camera could capture.

The machine shed was covered, top to bottom, with a sheet of ice on its east side.

...as was the house.

Rosie enjoyed looking out the window, but she didn't want to be out on the ice.

It was a gorgeous view out the window!

I didn't want to venture out very often either, as you never knew when one of these ice rods would drop down on you.

Or the monster ice blob pictured below! 

Yikes! That could knock you out!

Today, the ice on the trees is gone, and I'm surprised at how well the bent birch boughs have bounced back. Not bad...we'll tidy up the broken limbs, and my beautiful birch will continue to give me fall color for another year.