Wonder World Winter: In Search of Rare Beauty

In general, the rule is: When it gets cold, the speed of sound decreases. If the temperature drops from 20 degrees plus to minus 10 degrees Celsius, the speed of sound also decreases from 343 meters per second by 20 meters. What we notice in the snow is how quiet it becomes in winter. Because sound waves essentially travel between the crystals, fresh snow absorbs sounds particularly well.

If enough tiny ice crystals are floating in the icy upper atmosphere, an optical refraction phenomenon occurs, known as sundogs: Next to the sun – particularly evident on cold, frosty winter days – a halo appears. On the left and right sides of the sun, about at a 45-degree angle, there are two additional bright spots that look like mini suns. This phenomenon is also called sundogs – dogs that chase the sun. A coveted photo motif, but you have to be at the right place at the exact right time and at the ideal angle.

A white landscape, immersed in breathtaking evening red. To experience this, one primarily needs one thing: dust. The higher the dust content in the atmosphere, the greater the likelihood of experiencing a "burning sky." In Tyrol, it is primarily Saharan dust that causes this phenomenon. By the way, this very dust is one of the main food sources for the bacteria on the glacier. And when the clouds finally capture the red dust in snow crystals, it snows a rosy color in the Tyrolean Alps.

The shape of snow crystals is due to their physical properties. While the basic shape firmly adheres to the Euclidean hexagon (hexagon), the norm allows for playful diversity and astonishing individuality within this framework. The fact that no snowflake is alike, is statistically true: there are even more possible crystal forms on Earth than there are atoms in the entire universe.

On some icy winter mornings, you can find the trees of the Seefeld region covered with thousands of sparkling ice crystals. A rare phenomenon that occurs only under perfect conditions on frosty misty nights, freezing the humidity in the air into bizarre structures on the trunks and branches. Frosting translates to "Zuckerguss" in English, and it fits pretty well here. However, with the first rays of sunshine, the spectacle literally dissolves into thin air – but sometimes, early risers are rewarded by a particularly rare sparkle on the winter morning in Tirol's high plateau.

Equally rare and strange are the so-called snow rolls, which form as if by magic in snow-covered slopes. From a distance, the shapes resemble hay bales, though in the completely wrong season. Keen trackers might even see a half-finished snowman behind them, but the curls are actually far too airy and delicate for that. It is suspected that strong gusts of wind secretly lift, fold, and carefully roll down a layer of snow at hilltops. Perhaps just so that we have something to marvel at while strolling through the snow.

The high north is the perfect place for rare snow phenomena, but even in Tyrol's high plateau, it can get quite Nordic in winter: In the alpine elevations of the snowy Seefeld region, one can admire the so-called Tykky snow, for which there is no translation in German. In Finland, this describes a very special snow consistency that clings voluminously and firmly to trees and freezes into adventurous shapes known as Tykkylumi (snow candles or snow crowns).

Basically, the rule is: The further you are from the lights of civilization, the more impressive and beautiful the night sky is. Where cold air can hold less moisture and dust due to thermodynamic reasons, there is less light pollution, resulting in significantly better visibility of star constellations in winter. Therefore, winter is the perfect season to engage with astronomy or simply enjoy a night walk in the snow under countless stars. In the Seefeld region, this can be done either as a cozy snow walk or even as a guided night snowshoe hike.