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Polar Vortex Freezes Chicago and Lake Michigan: See the Photos

News
Ice along Lake Michigan.
Getty Images
By IE Staff

6:55 AM PST, February 1, 2019

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Lake Michigan looks like a frozen tundra, with temperatures plummeting to 20 below as a polar vortex grips the Midwest, halting trains, closing schools and setting record-low temperatures. 

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How Cold Is It? Don't Ask

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No, those aren't the icebergs that sank the Titanic. A view of Lake Michigan from Kenosha, Wisconsin. 

The Sears Tower, Behind Ice

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The Sears Tower, and the Chicago skyline, seem to rise above a bridge of ice that is really Lake Michigan. 

Not Gone Fishin'

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A man braves frigid temperatures on the icy shores of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

Chicago From the Air

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An overhead view of the cold, frozen waters of Lake Michigan, where extreme weather has spread misery and below-freezing temperatures. 

Cracked Ice

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Ice cracks spread across the frozen Lake Michigan. 

Brave Woman Takes Selfie

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A brave woman in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, takes a selfie on the shores of Lake Michigan in negative, double-digit temperatures.

A Ship in Frozen Water

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A ship is surrounded by ice along the shore of Lake Michigan.

Frigid Navy Pier

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Ice builds up along Navy Pier.

Snowy Stadium

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Chicago's Soldier Field covered in snow.

My Face Is Frozen

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Ice covers the eyelashes and hair of a woman walking along the shore of Lake Michigan in Chicago. 

Up Before Dawn

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Photographers arrive to shoot the dawn over frozen Lake Michigan. 

Chicago Is in There Somewhere

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Frozen Chicago behind steam blowing off Lake Michigan. 

Ice-Breaking Boat on Chicago River

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An ice-breaking boat glides along the frozen Chicago River.

Ice Blanket

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Broken ice on the Chicago River. 

Freezing Our Feathers Off

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Geese huddle along Lake Michigan.

Chilly Sunrise

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Photographers set up to shoot the sunrise in Chicago.

Crystal-Clear Skies

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Ice along Lake Michigan against crystal-clear skies.

New Sidewalk?

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People walk along the frozen edges of Lake Michigan. 

Home From School and Work

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Snow covers rows of houses in Chicago, where businesses and schools have closed.

Here's How Cold It Was

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Commuters walking in downtown Chicago pass a temperature sign reading minus 28 Celsius, which is 18.4 below Fahrenheit. 

tags:

  • chicago
  • polar vortex
  • frozen
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