WASHINGTON — Unseasonably warm air hit the icy waters of the Potomac River creating an ethereal cloudlike effect on Friday.
Two weeks of bitter cold temperatures created thick ice on the river, which cooled and condensed as the mild air moved in to the region during the day.
WTOP photographer Dave Dildine captured the spectral scenes.
![Dense fog swirls up toward the Key Bridge on Friday, Jan. 12, 2018. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fog_key_ddi.jpg)
WTOP/Dave Dildine
![Dense fog blankets the Potomac River near the Kennedy Center on Friday, Jan. 12. 2018. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fog_kennedy_ddi.jpg)
WTOP/Dave Dildine
![Dense fog rises off the Potomac River as a man takes a selfie near the Key Bridge on Friday, Jan. 12, 2018. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fog_selfie_ddi.jpg)
WTOP/Dave Dildine
![A woman snaps a photo of the deep blanket of fog that rose off the cold waters of the Potomac River on Friday, Jan. 12, 2018 amid a mid-January warmup. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fog_woman_ddi.jpg)
WTOP/Dave Dildine
![A man photographs the dense fog rising off the Potomac River on Friday, Jan. 12, 2018. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fog_man_ddi-1876x1254.jpg)
WTOP/Dave Dildine
![A bird stands in the Potomac River as dense fog rises off the water on Friday, Jan. 12, 2018. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fog_bird_ddi.jpg)
WTOP/Dave Dildine
![Georgetown is seen across a blanket of fog on the Potomac River on Friday, Jan. 12, 2018. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fog_gtwon_ddi.jpg)
WTOP/Dave Dildine
![A woman runs through defense fog along the Potomac River on Friday, Jan. 12, 2018. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fog_runner_ddi.jpg)
WTOP/Dave Dildine
![The Potomac River is hiden under a blanket of dense fog on Friday, Jan. 12, 2018. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fog_bridge_ddi.jpg)
WTOP/Dave Dildine
![Dense fog from the Potomac River coats a path on Friday Jan. 12, 2018. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fog_path_ddi.jpg)
WTOP/Dave Dildine
![Fog shrouds the base of the Washington Monument on Friday, Jan. 12, 2018. Mild temperatures mixing with cold air above the icy Potomac River created the heavy, ethereal fog. (WTOP/Carlos Prieto)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fog_carlos-1003x1254.jpg)
WTOP/Carlos Prieto
![Fog shrouds the Washington Monument on Friday, Jan. 12, 2018. Mild temperatures mixing with cold air above the icy Potomac River created the heavy, ethereal fog. (WTOP/Carlos Prieto)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fog_2_carlos-1003x1254.jpg)
WTOP/Carlos Prieto
![Dense fog swirls up toward the Key Bridge on Friday, Jan. 12, 2018. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fog_key_ddi-260x174.jpg)
![Dense fog blankets the Potomac River near the Kennedy Center on Friday, Jan. 12. 2018. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fog_kennedy_ddi-260x174.jpg)
![Dense fog rises off the Potomac River as a man takes a selfie near the Key Bridge on Friday, Jan. 12, 2018. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fog_selfie_ddi-260x174.jpg)
![A woman snaps a photo of the deep blanket of fog that rose off the cold waters of the Potomac River on Friday, Jan. 12, 2018 amid a mid-January warmup. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fog_woman_ddi-260x174.jpg)
![A man photographs the dense fog rising off the Potomac River on Friday, Jan. 12, 2018. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fog_man_ddi-260x174.jpg)
![A bird stands in the Potomac River as dense fog rises off the water on Friday, Jan. 12, 2018. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fog_bird_ddi-260x174.jpg)
![Georgetown is seen across a blanket of fog on the Potomac River on Friday, Jan. 12, 2018. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fog_gtwon_ddi-260x174.jpg)
![A woman runs through defense fog along the Potomac River on Friday, Jan. 12, 2018. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fog_runner_ddi-260x174.jpg)
![The Potomac River is hiden under a blanket of dense fog on Friday, Jan. 12, 2018. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fog_bridge_ddi-260x174.jpg)
![Dense fog from the Potomac River coats a path on Friday Jan. 12, 2018. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fog_path_ddi-260x174.jpg)
![Fog shrouds the base of the Washington Monument on Friday, Jan. 12, 2018. Mild temperatures mixing with cold air above the icy Potomac River created the heavy, ethereal fog. (WTOP/Carlos Prieto)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fog_carlos-260x174.jpg)
![Fog shrouds the Washington Monument on Friday, Jan. 12, 2018. Mild temperatures mixing with cold air above the icy Potomac River created the heavy, ethereal fog. (WTOP/Carlos Prieto)](https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/fog_2_carlos-260x174.jpg)