By Tim Binnall
Mother Nature has provided a city in Maine with a rather wondrous winter attraction in the form of a massive ice disc spinning in a river. According to a local media report, the enormous circle of ice is believed to measure around 300 feet in diameter and is located in a portion of the Presumpscot River that passes through downtown Westbrook. Since first being spotted earlier this week, the monstrous disc has become something of a sensation in the town with many members of the community flocking to the side of the river or atop nearby office buildings to marvel at the majestic sight.
Although some have likened the disc to crops circles and posited that perhaps it is the work of aliens, meteorologists say that the formation is actually a natural phenomenon caused when a chunk of ice breaks off and gets spun by the water current. During this rotational process, the frosty sheet rubs up against other pieces of ice as well as the shore and this friction smoothes the edges into a circle. Considering the size of this particular piece of ice, it appears to be seemingly stuck in the river, destined to continue spinning until some warmer weather arrives.
Oddly enough, the ice disc is not Westbrook's first dalliance with the strange and unusual as the city found itself in the headlines back in 2016 when a series of giant snake sightings throughout the community sparked headlines around the world. The elusive creature, dubbed 'Wessie' by locals, became something of a legend in the area and some have even jokingly suggested that the snake had something to do with this latest bit of weirdness in Westbrook. While we're pretty sure that's not the case, it's nice to know that the city has not forgotten the long lost creature that created a buzz a few summers ago.