Here's what's causing the lake's mystical look

It’s dangerously cold and probably best for most of us to stay inside as the thermometer teases and taunts the minus-30C mark.

But there’s an extraordinary visual and acoustic beauty that has unfolded across Okanagan Lake in recent days that has tempted those with a more adventurous soul.

As Kelowna10 weathercaster Duane English explains, the wispy mist that is drawing attention lakeward is known as steam fog.

“It kind of looks like steam rising off the top of a pot of boiling water,” English said. “It’s also known as sea smoke, or in the case of fresh water, lake smoke.”

It’s formed when a cold, dry air mass passes over the top of a relatively warmer body of water.

Okanagan Lake is at about 3C or 4C right now and the ambient air temperatures are fluctuating between -20C and close to -30C.

“There’s actually a little bit of a thermal happening above the lake,” English explained. “That relatively warmer water is actually rising up a little bit into this cooler air. It quickly cools, condenses, becomes saturated, and forms a bit of a misty fog. Once it cools down to the ambient air temperature it can no longer rise, so just kind of sits there in that pretty little mist above the lake.”

It’s not just the incredibly ethereal views of the weak sunlight dappling through the surface mist that are so captivating.

There are mystical noises, too.

If you step close to the frozen water’s edge (be careful), there are unique soft percussion elements at play, desperate to escape their temporary icy bondage. As the water moves beneath its Christmastime crust, there are creaks, pops, and moans resonating on top.

So, if you’re so inclined and wrap up well against the biting but beautiful tapestry on this city’s lakeside, there are rewards to be had.

How unusual is it to have the lake freeze in Kelowna to around 30-metres offshore?

“The lake does get colder than three or four degrees in the shallower portions close to the edges of course,” English said. “And, to the north as you get closer to Vernon, it gets very shallow so it’s not unheard of for the north end to freeze over completely.”