Frozen Southwest

The storm that pounded so much of the Country so hard was gentler here in southern New Mexico.  We got some very high winds and cold temperatures, but only a dusting of snow.

This morning was neat.  When I woke at dawn, it was -3 degrees outside.  The air was very calm, with almost no movement.  I am next to a very large lake formed on the Rio Grande River called Elephant Butte Lake.  It is about 40 to 50 degrees warmer than the air this morning.  The result is mist forming at the surface of the lake and rising slowly into the air.

What is REALLY neat is that as the mist rises, the air is moving, very slowly, south.  The moisture continues to condense in the much colder air and a cloud is formed.  To the north, there is no cloud, and little mist because I am near the upper reaches of the lake.  To the south, there is a string of small clouds that have formed and, as they gain altitude and distance from the lake, slowly evaporate in the very dry air.  The result is a number of columns of mist, topped by a tiny cloud at their southern extent, surrounded by clear skies.