6:55 AM PST, February 1, 2019
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.
How Cold Is It? Don't Ask
No, those aren't the icebergs that sank the Titanic. A view of Lake Michigan from Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The Sears Tower, Behind Ice
The Sears Tower, and the Chicago skyline, seem to rise above a bridge of ice that is really Lake Michigan.
Not Gone Fishin'
A man braves frigid temperatures on the icy shores of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Chicago From the Air
An overhead view of the cold, frozen waters of Lake Michigan, where extreme weather has spread misery and below-freezing temperatures.
Cracked Ice
Ice cracks spread across the frozen Lake Michigan.
Brave Woman Takes Selfie
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
A ship is surrounded by ice along the shore of Lake Michigan.
Frigid Navy Pier
Ice builds up along Navy Pier.
Snowy Stadium
Chicago's Soldier Field covered in snow.
My Face Is Frozen
Ice covers the eyelashes and hair of a woman walking along the shore of Lake Michigan in Chicago.
Up Before Dawn
Photographers arrive to shoot the dawn over frozen Lake Michigan.
Chicago Is in There Somewhere
Frozen Chicago behind steam blowing off Lake Michigan.
Ice-Breaking Boat on Chicago River
An ice-breaking boat glides along the frozen Chicago River.
Ice Blanket
Broken ice on the Chicago River.
Freezing Our Feathers Off
Geese huddle along Lake Michigan.
Chilly Sunrise
Photographers set up to shoot the sunrise in Chicago.
Crystal-Clear Skies
Ice along Lake Michigan against crystal-clear skies.
New Sidewalk?
People walk along the frozen edges of Lake Michigan.
Home From School and Work
Snow covers rows of houses in Chicago, where businesses and schools have closed.
Here's How Cold It Was
Commuters walking in downtown Chicago pass a temperature sign reading minus 28 Celsius, which is 18.4 below Fahrenheit.