Freezing fog encases P.E.I. in 'winter wonderland'

Parts of P.E.I. awoke Tuesday morning to a frost-covered vista and fog on the near horizon.

Freezing fog, with a low of -9 C was recorded at the Charlottetown Airport between midnight at 9 a.m.

"Freezing fog essentially forms the same way as fog," explained CBC meteorologist Jay Scotland.

"The temperature cools through the overnight hours. The air's ability to hold onto that moisture is limited as the air becomes colder and we start to see little tiny water droplets suspended in the air forming.

"The difference is temperatures at the surface were well below freezing overnight last night and this morning. Those tiny little water droplets — they don't freeze when they're suspended in the air — they become super cooled water droplets," he said.

"The second they make contact with the hood of your car, your windshield, maybe a tree branch or on a power line, that super cooled water droplet, that fog, will deposit itself as ice on that surface. We will actually see ice start forming on our hard surfaces in addition to having poor visibility in foggy conditions."

The fog made way for the sun around 10 a.m. Scotland is forecasting a high of 3 to 4 C in Charlottetown Tuesday, with temperatures across the Island ranging from 1 to 6 C.

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