The first true winter morning in Alberta arrived with crystalline beauty both inside and outside the vehicle. On Wednesday, November 26, 2025, journalist Mike Drew discovered his windshield had become an unexpected canvas for nature's art.
Unexpected Frost Artistry
When temperatures plummeted to -11°C overnight, moisture trapped inside the vehicle created intricate frost patterns on the glass. The morning sun illuminated these delicate, leaf-like formations, prompting an immediate photographic capture before the radiant heat melted them away. This spontaneous beauty marked the beginning of an exploration into Alberta's suddenly transformed landscape.
Winter's Dramatic Arrival in Alberta
Alberta's seasonal transitions rarely occur gradually. As Drew noted, the province typically shifts from autumn to winter within a single night's sleep. This week proved no exception, with conditions changing from relatively mild to deeply frozen almost instantly.
Road conditions east of Calgary became challenging, with paved surfaces resembling pebbly curling rinks. Seeking safer passage, Drew transitioned to gravel roads where approximately 10 centimetres of fresh snow provided better traction despite creating rutted pathways.
Nature's Winter Transformation
The landscape east of Strathmore revealed winter's breathtaking effects. Trees along Eagle Lake's north shore stood draped in thick frost, their branches bending under the crystalline weight. Continuous showers of ice crystals fell whenever breezes whispered through or magpies landed, creating miniature avalanches of shimmering beauty.
Meanwhile, ponds around Langdon maintained small patches of open water, with tendrils of mist rising and twisting into the cold air. New ice formations on sloughs north of Hussar displayed intricate patterns created by slightly warmer water beneath the surface.
The clean, cotton-like snow blanket contrasted sharply with wispy clouds against deep blue skies. This pristine environment provided the perfect backdrop for wildlife encounters, including a curious short-eared owl observed east of Strathmore on Tuesday, November 25, 2025.
Despite the challenging driving conditions and sudden temperature drop, the day revealed Alberta's capacity for winter beauty in its most delicate and dramatic forms.
