Weather Words: Sastrugi

It looks like the surface of another planet, but sastrugi is actually a wintertime phenomenon that’s quite common in the polar regions. Sastrugi is the wave-like, irregular ridges or grooves formed on the surface of snow or ice that are caused by wind erosion.

These features are commonly found in polar and high-altitude regions, where strong winds blow across snow or ice, shaping the surface. The wind sculpts the snow into these distinct, often angular forms, which can range in size from small ripples to large, wave-like ridges.

Sastrugi can be challenging for skiers in snowy environments, as they create uneven terrain that can be difficult to navigate. They also reflect light in a way that can create dazzling visual effects or make the surface difficult to discern.

This segment originally appeared in today's edition of the Morning Brief newsletter. Sign up here to get weekday updates from The Weather Channel and our meteorologists.

J​ennifer Gray is a weather and climate writer for weather.com. She has been covering some of the world's biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.