Portholes in the snow.

Hoarfrost on the edge of a hole in the snow, with prairie grass beneath.  The Leadership Center Prairie – Aurora, Nebraska.

Early morning hoar frost, calm winds, and a hazy sunrise got me out the door with my camera Tuesday morning.  I found plenty to photograph, including frosty milkweed seeds, mouse tracks, and lots more.  But it was the little windows in the snow that I couldn’t stay away from.

It appears to me that many of the holes in the snow were a result of radiant heat, caused by the sun warming up the plants sticking out of the snow.  Regardless of the reason, they were sure interesting to look at – especially with the morning hoar frost tinging their edges.

Here are just a few of the images I came home with.

A stiff sunflower stem protrudes from a frost-edged gap in the snow.

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I assume many of the holes were caused by heat radiating from vegetation warmed by the sun?

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Some of the holes were more like cracks…

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All in all, it was a pretty nice morning to be out.

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