Ice began to form starting around 8 p.m. on Monday, at a height of 2,900 m from sea level on Vietnam's highest peak Fansipan of Lao Cai's Sa Pa. The ice started out thin, covering the wooden beams and floors on the peak.
At Thuong Pagoda, situated on the way towards the peak of Fansipan, water vapors and mist were frozen in the cold, creating ice and frost.
At night and in the early morning, temperatures outside fell to minus 3 degrees Celsius.
Certain northern and central Vietnam regions have been going through 10 days of a cold snap. Hanoi's temperatures have fallen to seven degrees at the lowest, while Sa Pa typically saw temperatures at 2-5 degrees.
Temperatures are expected to drop by 0.6 degrees for every 100 m going upward. It means that if Sa Pa's temperatures are at 2-5 degrees, Fansipan would record subzero temperatures, a condition for ice to form.
Ice and frost cover figures of snowmen.
This winter, ice first made its appearance on Fansipan on Nov. 20.
The higher one goes up, the thicker the ice layers will be, especially in areas with little winds.
"This time, the ice layers are the thickest and most long-lasting. After the ice melts, Fansipan would see beautiful seas of clouds," a representative of the Fansipan tourism area management committee said.
At a giant Buddha statue site, located 2,900 m above sea level and 200 m from the peak, the ice layers are thinner.
Ice and frost cover plant life. If the layers of ice last for too long, the plants may wither and die.
In the coming days, temperatures of Fansipan are expected to remain subzero at night, and frost can still appear. Several tourists have come to the area to take pictures of the seas of ice and clouds.
