Power lines during snowstorm doing something I've never seen before

[ThomWV]

Maybe someone can explain this for me - I've never seen it before.

It is snowing medium hard right now, the snow is coming straight down - no wind at all. There's about 21" of fresh snow on the ground and a lot in the tree tops too.

Now, here's what I'm seeing. The power lines have a big build up on them, maybe its ice plus snow or whatever but they are covered completely and appear to be about 4" in diameter, even though I know the wires are at most a half inch.

Now here is the thing. There is no wind, the snow is falling straight down, the tree limbs are not moving, nothing is moving. Nothing that is except the power lines. While all else is still the power lines are visibly swaying, moving maybe one or two inches side to side - its not much but I can definitely see it midpoint on the spans between poles.

What could cause the lines to move when nothing else is?

[surrealAmerican]

1. Interesting.

Can you take some pictures?

[Phentex]

2. My guess: "pole"tergeist...

:D

[KatyaR]

3. I'm no scientist, but

I would think that if there's build up on the lines that the falling snow is causing it to move. More weight means more momentum?

Like I said, I'm no scientist....

[tigereye]

4. used to happen all the time here before a lot of trees were trimmed...

the snow is so heavy and the flexibility/tensile quality? of the lines? Hmm, sounds like a job for a science/physics person.

[david13]

5. It could be the expansion of the ice forming on them, as it forms and

hardens, it expands, as you may know if you put a soda can or plastic into the freezer. Usually, the ice buildup will break the wire. Sometimes, prior to breaking, they will start to burn, then also, when they hit the ground, they make short out and spark.
dc