This is one of those natural phenomena in the Last Frontier that isn't welcomed with open arms. It's actually quite the opposite - some of us even loathe it. Its dense nature makes it impossible for us to enjoy the beautiful views on our daily commute. Plus, it's nearly impossible to navigate through without gripping onto the steering wheel for dear life.

Need to get something done? Forget about it! You'll have to wait for the ice fog to pass. In Alaska, dealing with gnarly weather patterns is just a way of life, and no matter how much we complain, we have no choice but to suck it up and deal with it. I think we can all agree that it's a small price to pay for living in the best state in the nation.

The natural weather phenomenon known as 'ice fog' is a type of fog that consists of fine ice crystals that essentially get suspended in the air.

Winter in Alaska is definitely not boring.

This rare natural phenomenon happens most frequently in cold, arctic areas in the world, such as Alaska. Basically, what happens is water droplets get suspended in the air and can remain liquid down to −40 °F.

This makes for an incredible experience, especially if you’ve never seen fog in Alaska during the cold months before.

Ice fog is most common in interior and northern Alaska and it only takes formation under specific conditions; the humidity has to be near 100% and the air temperature below 32 °F.

It’s a rare and unique combination not seen anywhere outside of Arctic climates, and it’s rare even here! You may have one or two days of ice fog in Alaska during the winter, depending on where you live.

This specific weather pattern allows for the ice crystals to form in thin air. The ice crystals will then settle onto surfaces, making everything in sight sparkle like a glittery winter wonderland when the sun hits it.

This is pretty wonderful. It can create incredible landscapes that look entirely coated in ice, and makes up some of the most iconic winter in Alaska scenery.

Anyone who lives in Alaska knows exactly what we are talking about. Ice fog is a gnarly weather pattern that comes in like a wrecking ball and always puts a total damper in our outdoor plans and our daily commutes.

This is the type of Alaska winter weather you will want to cozy up for.

In fact, early settlers called ice fog 'white death' as they believed that the crystals would get into their lungs and cause death.

Not exactly cheerful.

You'll notice that ice fog is abundantly dense over frozen rivers and lakes throughout the Last Frontier. Places like the Knik River, Chena River and Kenai Lake are known for having very dense ice fog in the winter months.

You can watch it hang over the lower parts of the atmosphere, especially if you’re coming in from farther away. It’s quite awe-inspiring.

Even in the middle of places like the Arctic Ocean and the Chukchi Sea, ice fog can set in thick and bring all transportation to a complete halt.

This could be quite annoying if not for good radar technology.

Oftentimes when you're driving through metropolitan areas you'll be able to mask the powerfulness of ice fog as city lights brighten up your direct line of sight.

This makes for pretty incredible light reflections when driving through cities like Anchorage.

People working in remote arctic areas in Alaska regularly experience the effects ice fog has on their daily outside routines in the oilfield.

Fog in Alaska when cold can be quite annoying.

In fact, no matter where you are located in the 49th state, if you have a year-round outdoor job in Alaska, your productivity will likely be impacted by ice fog multiple times throughout the winter months.

Ice fog in Alaska can be both beautiful and a hazard at work.

If you are an avid outdoors enthusiast, you might even experience ice fog up-close-and-personal high into the mountains when you're out enjoying a winter hike or skiing adventure.

Make sure you check the weather reports because getting lost in ice fog in Alaska is not something that you really want to do.

For a more 'up close and personal' look at how thick ice fog can get and how challenging it is to drive in, be sure to check out the excellent YouTube video below.

https://youtu.be/0BiFKSZnoQ4

Have you ever experienced the ice fog in Alaska? What did you think? Was it a bother? Let us know in the comments below!

If you enjoyed reading about ice fog in Alaska, be sure to check out this natural phenomenon that happens just once a year in Alaska - it's absolutely spectacular! Also, this other stunning natural phenomenon must be seen to be believed