# "Ice blink"



## Paul_Lee (May 2, 2008)

Hi,
I'm presuming that there is a lot of experience on the board with the phenomenon known as "ice blink". I read that it's caused by light reflecting
off ice and onto low clouds, but is there a condition where this occurs at night and without clouds?

Thanks!

Paul
--
http://www.paullee.com


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## gdynia (Nov 3, 2005)

I always understood it had to be low clouds


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## Andrew Craig-Bennett (Mar 13, 2007)

I've only seen it with low cloud.

However, when you are closing the pack from leeward (which is what I would always recommend!)) you will certainly run into the smooth and you will probably hear it - ice is very noisy at the edge in my experience


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

You will also feel the temperature drop, it use to be known as "sniffing" a handy skill which ex- Whaler D.O's had off to a tee. Handy in the dark without the use of the RADAR


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## Andrew Craig-Bennett (Mar 13, 2007)

Yes, I should have mentioned that. 

Besides the air temperature, the sea temperature is _very_ reliable, but it used to mean somebody dipping a bucket...not an issue if you were weather reporting.


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