Ice Storm

Ice Storm: Ice Storm: new stock photography content by Ernie Hunter
Do the words "Freezing Rain" in your weather forecast send shivers up your spine? They probably do if you remember the ice storm of 1998 that put up to 5 inches of freezing rain across eastern Ontario, southern Quebec, the Maritimes and parts of the northern United States. Power outages lasting weeks, not hours or days, trees down everywhere, roads closed. This is enough to make those who remembered leave town. However; last Fridays ice storm wasn't that bad. In fact, while it coated cars, trees, wires and the like, it was not that bad on the roads. More slushy than icy.
Ice coated trees, shrubs and grass combined with the dull overcast sky gave things a fairy tale look. Some scenes looked as though they were photographed in infrared as the trees and grass appeared white, much like the effect of black and white infrared film. Long needled pine bows drooped and looked as though they were coated in glass. Newly swelled buds on lilac bushes were encapsulated in a quarter of an inch of ice. Bushes, usually a safe distance from the highway, were touching the edges of the pavement. In several places long tubes of ice coming off one hydro line touched the other line, sending a ball of flame and sparks skyward, and put the power out.
By mid afternoon the rain had stopped and the sun was coming out. Within an hour most of the ice was gone from the trees, wires etc and Ontario Hydro had power restored. Anyone who slept in late missed most of it. Guess that's not a bad thing though.