I didn’t even know these things existed in the first place.
“This is no joke. We did not build it,” said Mike Stanford, an avalanche-control expert with the state Department of Transportation (WSDOT). “They are a natural occurrence in nature.”
At first he couldn’t believe his eyes: Perfectly shaped doughnuts had rolled down the mountainside and frozen in place.
He said it’s only the second time in his 30 years of working in the snow that he’s seen anything like it.
If you have pictures of interesting natural phenomena, send them in and we’ll create a colletive post.
Under certain circumstances there are lots alongside the highway on the way to and around Tahoe. Not unusual under California weather conditions.
I wonder if seeing one of these by prehistoric Og or his cousin Gug (the good looking one) is how the wheel got invented.
hhmmmmmm doughnuts…. aaauuuggghhhsss, drool.
😉
We got a lot of those in Cincinnati, Ohio a few years back and they are just like a pipe made out Ice
I’ve seen these once in my life, a whole field of them, was pretty cool.
I know someone who saw ball lighting, I doubt I’ll ever get to see that. 🙁
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_lightning
I remember seeing something like that in my backcountry skiing days but never that perfectly formed — or with that cool hole in the middle. Still, it was more like a wheel than a snow ball.
As for the natural phenomenon, my vote goes to:
Tule Fog
Tule Fog may not sound amazing unless you’ve driven in it! It is thicker — by a big factor — beyond any other fog I’ve seen. It’s mostly in the Central Valley of California but I think the phenomenon can be other places where water — in the form or fog — is drawn up from the ground but held in place (compressed almost) by an inversion layer.
No kidding … sometimes you can’t see as far as the width of a two-lane country road. At the very worst I’ve ever seen it, in a dip in the road, my vision was less than the hood of my Dodge Dart!
Check out this satellite photo of the Central Valley:
http://tinyurl.com/2bm9ft
On the upper-right is snow on the Serra Nevada mountains but that dense white blotch is hard-core fog going for miles and miles.
Of course, it’s still California so idiots try to drive full speed in the stuff and every few years there is a horrific 100+ car pile up on I-5 or 99.
http://tinyurl.com/2bm9ft
why all the complaining. I thought it was very interesting, it is something I didn’t even know existed.
Thank you for the cool story
7,
Thanks for the cool images.
8,
These guys don’t get it. Sometimes science can be whimsical. Screw ’em if they can’t take a joke.
I suppose the natural phenomenon means Og and Gug (#2) can’t file for a patent on the wheel. Wotta rip-off.
I didn’t notice any complaining. Somebody do some message editing or something?
#10: Yes. I deleted some obscene spam that got through.
You need a well hung man to make donuts.
#12, Would that be so he could start them rolling down the hill better?
I don’t know if this is actually true or just another prank, but it sounds interesting. I wonder how the hole gets there, besides Angel’s idea.
If you have pictures of interesting natural phenomena, send them in and we’ll create a colletive post.
Does a picture of liberals thinking they have a say in how this country is run count?