PHOTOS: Scenes from a minus 27-degree morning

We're in the midst of the coldest two-day period this winter.

By a long shot.

Each successive day between now and next weekend, both the daytime highs and the evening lows grow warmer.

By Saturday, just in time for Penticton's newest festival, "Frost Fest" at Gyro Park, we'll be edging into positive numbers again.

But this morning was really something.

At 8 am, it was still -26°C. Cold enough that an ungloved hand was painful within a minute or so.

But between 8 and 10, the scenes over Okanagan and Skaha Lakes in particular were simply spectacular.

As best as we can tell, the phenomena is called "steam fog." Or "sea smoke."

It occurs when cold air moves across a comparatively warm body of water.

Some of the water evaporates into the air. Et voila!

And if the lighting is just right, as it was this morning with the sun just creeping over the mountaintops, the visuals are even more dramatic.

We started the morning at Okanagan Lake Beach then moved to Munson Mountain, Skaha Lake Beach, various spots in Kaleden, a couple of Hwy 97 pullouts south of Penticton, Sun-Oka Beach, and back to our starting point.

Environment Canada calls for a high today of just -18°C but a low tonight only two degrees colder at -20. Sunday's projected high is -14.

The first precipitation in the forecast isn't 'til Tuesday, and even then it may not happen. If it does, it'll be in the form of snow flurries.