With one touch, they vanish. Meet the delicate, icy wonders called frost flowers

The first major blast of wintry weather in the U.S. this week brought snow, frigid temperatures and in some places something a little more magical: Frost flowers.

Made of thin ribbons of ice that extend out in intricate patterns when frozen water breaks through the slits of certain types of plant stems, the icy blooms can disintegrate with a single touch and only appear for hours at a time.

They are found most often in the Eastern half of the U.S., especially in the upper half where hard freezes are more common, and resemble clouds of cotton candy or spun glass.

For some, it’s become a well-known phenomenon, indicating the nearness of winter and ushering people out of bed to get a glimpse before the day’s sun melts them away.

On Monday and Tuesday, people in Indiana, Missouri, Tennesse