Wacky Icicle Does Not Seem To Know About Gravity

One of the best things about doing this blog is the interesting pictures folks send me.   This week Anne Fox sent along a startling picture of some icicles from her cabin in Winthrop (see below).   This icicle curved upward and them curled around in a circle.   If you look carefully, there are a few more that had a similar behavior.

How could this be?  Icicles should be directed towards the ground as gravity acts on the melting water.!

I had my theory about this, but asked for more pictures with additional perspectives (see below).  Before the spoiler, think about this yourself.

My hypothesis.   Snow fell on the roof and temperatures starting to warm.  The snow started to flow slowly down and off the roof, with some icicles on below the leading edge as melted water refroze below.  Yes, icicles that WERE directed downward.  Naturally, the snow layer, under the influence of gravity, started to bend downwards as it extended off the roof.  Away from the relatively warm roof or because the exposure to the sun changed, the snow layer cooled and refroze, maintaining the curve.  As more snow pushed off the roof, the snow layer in the air below naturally had an increased curvature, causing the icicles on its leading edge to slow turn upward.   Perhaps because of warming air or because the icicle got close to the warmer post (darker colors absorb solar radiation better), the tip of the icicle started to curve downward, producing the strange curved tip.

Anyway, I am open to other explanations for these amazing pictures.    Could persistent wind contribute to curving?  Even aliens, if you can make that work.

This case of highly curved icicles, although unusual, is not unique.  Here is an example from a cabin near Truckee, CA:

Northwest Weather Workshop

The big local weather workshop is less than a month away (March 4-5, Seattle).  If you are interested in attending, the agenda and registration information can be found here.