Weird, wonderful things abound in Yellowstone in winter

When Yellowstone National Park is covered in a blanket of snow, things can get a little weird.

With the 2.2-million acre park’s geothermal stew of geysers, hot springs, fumaroles and mud pots, dizzying array of wildlife and a vast and diverse landscape, visitors are rewarded with an experience like no place else on Earth.

The park’s winter season began Dec. 18 and runs until March 2.

“Throughout the winter season, the park becomes a visual smorgasbord that is both strange and wonderful,” said Rick Hoeninghausen, director of sales and marketing for Xanterra Parks & Resorts’ Yellowstone National Park Lodges.

Here are just a few of the strange experiences visitors can expect during a winter visit to the park:

•Ice fog. When the conditions are just right, visitors will see light-reflecting ice crystals floating in the air, giving the illusion of fog. As the crystals drift through the air, they become natural and breathtaking sun-catchers as they reflect the sun’s rays.

•Monkey flowers. Only a few inches tall, these strange yellow wildflowers grow exclusively around hot springs. They are able to survive the winter because of their short stature as well as the heat of the springs. There’s a summer-season monkey flower too, but it is much taller, and it grows around streams and springs.

•Ice sheet. In the winter, Yellowstone Lake can have 136 square miles of ice. Ice can be two feet thick on the surface but some spots on the bottom of the lake might still be boiling because of the park’s thermal activity. This massive ice sheet can be viewed from several vantage points during snowcoach tours.

•Ghost trees. During the winter, rime from hydrothermal mist accumulates on the branches of trees. When combined with falling snow, trees take on an eerie appearance and are known as “ghost trees.” These much-photographed trees are stunning to behold, but they eventually can cause tree limbs to break.

•Snowball beards. Bison forage for food beneath the snow, and they can sometimes be seen with large clumps of snow and ice dangling from their chin hair. These oddly shaped “snowball beards” dangle precariously from a bison’s jaw until the weight forces them to break off, sometimes taking fur with them.

•Snow sculptures. The park’s powerful winter wind blows snow around like dust, and the resulting drifts, patterns and formations, some strikingly and eerily symmetrical, are breathtaking.

•Snow mirrors. Shiny, icy patches of snow form when the snow melts slightly and then refreezes, creating a smooth, reflective surface. When conditions are right, entire fields and mountains can appear shiny and reflective from a distance.

•Rivers that never freeze. The Madison River and many other rivers in the park never freeze despite the park’s cold temperatures because the rivers’ flows combine with geothermal features.

•Geyser rain. When the near-boiling-temperature water from a geyser shoots into frigid air the resulting “geyser rain” looks like frozen ice pellets floating back to Earth.

Visit Yellowstone in winter

Winter lodging and snowcoach packages can be booked by calling 307-344-7311 or 866-439-7375 or by visiting yellowstonenationalparklodges.com.