Posted in North Dakota Nature January 12, 2021 by

A Natural Phenomenon, Ice Circles, Have Been Popping Up In North Dakota And It’s Breathtaking

North Dakota is known for its cold winters. Some out-of-staters have the misconception that it’s covered in snow all the time, here. While that certainly isn’t true, unlike states that barely get below 40 degrees during this season, we do have our fair share of snow and ice. One of the benefits of that is we get to enjoy a beautiful winter phenomenon in North Dakota. Though rare, there is one particular one that has been popping up in the state this winter, and it’s beautiful.

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North Dakota has a variety of things that make its winter specials, such as snow rollers formed by the blowing wind.
Darla Hueske/Flickr
In the frigid temperatures of winter in North Dakota, its many rivers, ponds, and lakes tend to freeze over. During this process, a special natural phenomenon can occur.
gfpeck/Flickr
The river flow sometimes creates "eddies," little swirls near the surface of the water. While those are freezing over, an ice circle can form.
Jane/Flickr
Ice circles are also known as ice disks or ice pans. Regardless of what you call them, they can be perfectly round circles and are enchanting to see on a river.
Nicolas Perrault II/Wikimedia
Ice circles were recently photographed on the Red River in North Dakota, and there was a viral video from a previous winter captured in North Dakota of a massive ice circle - an even rarer occurrence.
Juliancolton/Wikimedia
This huge ice circle was captured in video on the Sheyenne River in North Dakota, with millions of views and being shared by news sources worldwide.
AP/Youtube

Check out the viral video of the huge ice disk:

Although the ice disks seen more recently in North Dakota haven’t been that big, the little bunches of ice disks are still a delight if you get the chance to see them in person. Have you seen this natural phenomenon before?

Though upper midwest winters aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, there is still a lot to appreciate about them. Check out these photos of winter beauty in North Dakota to see what we mean.

Address: North Dakota, USA