This winter has hit the American Midwest hard while the polar vortex is out of control and is bringing insanely low temperatures. In the USA, areas like North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Minneapolis, Chicago, and the entire Lake Michigan are frozen stiff, including rivers, roads, vehicles, and even homes. As most of the midwest has been encased in ice, making everything look as if it were made of fine crystal, the blizzards have taken away over two dozen lives as of February 1, 2019, and people are advised to remain in their homes. Photos have begun emerging online, showing the consequences of this catastrophe, and these are some of the most famous ones.
The Day After Tomorrow, Today
This photo was taken at Fullerton Ave Beach of the frozen Lake Michigan. People have immediately called it like the 2004 sci-fi thriller movie The Day After Tomorrow, for it resembles the movie’s poster. The movie was based on The Coming Global Superstorm book. These arctic blasts of cold wind that are engulfing America are said to affect nearly 110 million US citizens, and the Lake Michigan area is getting the worst of it. These freezing blasts are caused by spinning pools of cold air, known as polar vortices.
New Art Form – Pants Sculpting
Nobody would have expected that the year 2019 would begin this way. All across the states affected by the severe cold, people are taking photos of their clothes and other stuff frozen in place by the record-breaking low temperatures. They are calling it pants sculpting and all it takes to get creative is to soak your pants and hang them out to dry. While they are drying, which should take only about a couple of minutes, you can try and sculpt the pants into the desired shape. Just go nuts – there are no rules, and you can’t go wrong!
Daycare At -58°F (-50°C)
These extremely low temperatures are especially hard on young children. Every mom knows the importance and the impact of the first few months and years on a baby. In fact, it cannot be stressed enough how important it is to take your child out and literally expose it to fresh air and sunlight on a daily basis. According to numerous studies, the benefits of taking your child outdoors on its physical and mental development are tremendous and essential for the development of the immune system. These temperatures, however, complicate things somehow, for breathing air that is too cold can be hazardous even for adults.
‘When Hell Freezes Over’ – That Means Now
This paradoxical image of a fire door frozen from the inside of the room speaks volumes about how cold it truly is in the USA lately. Frostbite damage to buildings and houses is imminent, especially in the plumbing department, but nobody could have predicted metal doors freezing on the inside. But, not to worry, freezing damage typically does fall under the homeowners’ insurance coverage. Statistics provided by the Insurance Information Institute (iii) state that 1 in 50 homes get frost damage insurance claim every year. The damage typically involves plumbing and water.
Ice Rain Is Coming Down, Pouring Down All Over Me
The occurrence when rain is maintained below freezing temperatures is called ‘freezing rain.’ This happens when raindrops do not get entirely frozen after passing through the air layer with sub-freezing temperatures, located approximately 1,000 feet above the ground. Instead of freezing, the rain gets supercooled and only freezes upon contact with any surface. The variations of this phenomenon can be a mix of snow and rain, ice pellets, or even hail, and all can cause serious water damage. The glazed ice that accumulates on a surface on which frozen rainwater falls can be up to several centimeters thick. FZRA is the measurement for freezing rain used predominantly by pilots.
You’re Frozen When Your Window’s Not Open
Windows and doors on houses can freeze shut during these dangerous temperatures and cause various problems. Frost can potentially damage window glass so storm windows are usually one of the solutions. But, the polar vortex currently engulfing North America is just temporary and it may prove costly to go shopping for storm windows. To prevent your windows from freezing from the inside, try and minimize the humidity levels in your home. Avoid boiling water too long or leaving it hot on the stove. If you do manage to get a shower, try not to leave the bathroom door open and let the humid air into the rest of the house.
Spare A Blanket Or Two
This hazardous cold air vortex brought the USA nothing but catastrophe, as it reportedly claimed two dozen lives so far. The ones who’ve had it the worst are the homeless, as shelters are overcrowded and many are left to endure the brutal cold outside. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s latest report on the homeless, from 2017, claimed that the number of homeless people in the USA was around 554K on a given night. This winter, a nationwide appeal has been directed to people who can donate to charity to give anything they can spare, especially stuff to maintain body heat.
Okay, Maybe I’m Not In That Much Of A Hurry
This photo of a frozen toilet was taken in a home in Wisconsin. The plumber service cannot do anything to help as the polar vortex is making everyday life exceedingly difficult. As we all know, water freezes at 0°C or 32°F, but interestingly enough, Wisconsin hits -22°F (-30°C) almost every winter. The wind is actually the cause of the problem. Wisconsin was expected to go anywhere from -31°F to -67°F (-35 to -55°C) in 2018/19 winter. The Wisconsin State Climatology Office added that Wisconsin residents are accustomed to the low temps and know how to take necessary precautions. Having just a little of your skin exposed as possible is one way to go.
Washer & Dryer or The Polar Vortex?
This is not the time to be thinking about fashion, as simply being outside is hazardous for anyone in the Midwest. The authorities in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan have all issued a warning for people not to, as one spokesman put it, go outside unless absolutely necessary. Furthermore, considering that drying creates humidity, and humidity gives way to freezing things inside your home, it may be best to forget about what you’re wearing under the circumstances. Even establishments like schools had to be closed for a couple of weeks.
Molto Al Dente!
It may be frozen, but this Chicago pasta still looks delicious. Al dente is the term used to describe the method of cooking rice or pasta which leaves it firm, mostly used in Italian restaurants. It literally translates from Italian as ‘to the tooth.’ Italians specialize in pasta, as we all know, and they have two main ways of cooking it. Pasta al dente takes a short amount of cooking time and is typically used when the pasta is going through the cooking process twice. But, the Italians naturally never accounted for the freezing American weather!
Why Is This Polar Vortex Reaching Us?
This infamous polar vortex is actually a natural phenomenon. There are two vortices, one on the North and the other in the South Pole. Both have a counterclockwise rotation and take up a zone that is up to 620 miles long in diameter. They get stronger or weaker on a yearly basis, but if the vortices are strong, they will remain in a unified mass. If they weaken, they tend to broke apart into smaller vortices which often head toward the equator, bringing the cold air with them, naturally. They are weaker than the main unified vortex but are strong enough to engulf an entire nation in ice and cause property damage.
Not The Red Sea, But It Will Do
The Detroit River flows for a full twenty-four nautical miles between Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie, forming a natural border between the USA and Canada. In fact, it divides the areas of Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan, and it is thus called Detroit-Windsor. This season’s winter temperatures of -13°F (-25°C) broke a 99-year standing record-low for Detroit, according to the news reports, and have frozen the river’s entire surface. It is now, in theory, possible to walk between the US and Canada. Of course, for everyone’s well-being, the authorities strongly advise remaining indoors as much as possible.
Insulate Your Home
The freezing cold is getting inside people’s homes through every crack and every pore. According to Time, these sub-zero temperatures have caused accidents that have taken the lives of 21 people as of February 1, 2019. The total number of people dead remains inconclusive, but it does seem that the safest place to be is indoors. You should consider insulating your home by blocking the gaps on your doors, windows, and other openings. You can easily find the best methods suited for you online, which won’t require you going to the store.
Flights Are Getting Canceled
Lake Michigan has turned into a sea of ice as it too has been completely engulfed by the polar vortex. The photo above was reportedly taken by a camera from a plane just before it landed in Chicago, probably sometime in January 2019. It was apparently one of the few flights that were still operating. Lake Michigan has a surface area of 22,300 square miles, while with Lake Huron, it goes well over 45,000 square miles. When you combine the two, they comprise the largest lake surface in America.
Check For Potential Hazards!
This photo was found on Reddit. It was taken by someone who happened to see his neighbor’s furnace exhaust in such an icy situation. The top comments or reactions on the post had expressed concern about the potential hazard that such an occurrence might cause. According to the most rated comments, if this furnace exhaust were to become partially or fully blocked, it would significantly interfere in the heating process. Also, it could cause carbon monoxide to build up inside the house until the air would become hazardous to health.
Polar Vortex Winter Trends Season 2018/19
On the lighter side of things, some people are having fun outside despite the nation-wide curfew. This is possible in some areas where the temperatures are not as severe. Besides sculpting frozen pants or making frozen bubbles, people seem to be having fun watching parts of their face freeze. As this new chilling trend spreads, it is important to note, however, that breathing very cold air is dangerous. The lack of humidity in cold air, necessary for bronchial rubes, can cause various problems and symptoms, like shortness of breath, coughing, dry mouth, and may even require a trip to the doctor’s office.
Be Extra Careful With Your Pets
This photo apparently shows someone’s pet dog, as it tries to walk on ice and get some outdoors time. While it is commendable that people would endure the winter chill to give their pets a chance to have some fresh air, many dogs, especially those with shorter fur, cannot endure freezing temperatures for long. According to some online sources, you shouldn’t stay out for more than 15 minutes. You should also take some precautions, like trimming the dog’s paws, getting them winter dog shoes, coats, and clean its paws after. You wouldn’t want to risk having a dog rescue if you let your furry friend succumb to the weather!
‘Frying An Egg On The Sidewalk’ Suddenly Doesn’t Sound All That Bad
Many have probably heard Americans describe how hot it is by saying that you can fry an egg on the sidewalk. Well, we sure do miss those days right about now. However, somebody still had the idea of experimenting with various types of food outdoors in the cold. This photo of a woman holding a frozen sunny side up was reportedly taken at 6°F (-14°C). The experiment was conducted in PyeongChang, South Korea, which was the home of the 2018 Winter Olympics. The sunny side up in the pan froze in five minutes. These enthusiasts also uploaded a full movie of the eggs freezing online.
Some People Hardly Ever Leave Home Anyway
Insulating your home without engaging in some heavy home remodeling has proven a challenge this winter. The experts for insulation are saying front doors, or any that lead directly outside, let off most of the heat underneath. Also, if you have a double door, you should check if both sides close properly and do not let any air through. According to the law of thermodynamics, the hot air will escape outside first, so any heating you attempt inside can prove futile if too much heat escapes. Once cold air starts blowing in, the temperature inside will significantly drop, depending on the circulation, and it may potentially approach the temperature outside even.
Blizzard Engulfed South Dakota
South Dakota was constantly being hit by frozen winds, which reached 40+ mph. The blizzard made the roads and the outdoors very dangerous as the authorities were close to issuing a snow alert. Many public venues were closed on several occasions while the police responded to 46 car accidents, according to the latest reports, due to the blizzard. Counties like Lyman, Jones, Hyde, Sully, Hughes, Stanley, Faulk, Potter, Edmunds, and McPherson were all hit with 45mph fast freezing winds. The weather advisory was in effect in Moody, Lincoln, Minnehaha, and Clay counties.
Home Stalagmites?
This astonishing image of frozen water right out of a faucet, indoors, does beg the question on what can we do? It is said that leaving the water drip from the faucet, even a trickle, can help to prevent pipes freezing, but will it help during the polar vortex? Some other tips say you should disconnect water hoses outside and cover the outdoor faucets with an insulation layer, which shouldn’t be too big of an investment. You should try and keep the same level of heating indoors for the whole day, including overnight. And, lastly, snow will actually help insulate the pipes underground in the yard.
Is Nothing Sacred?
The weather forecasters said that the vortex will end in February 2019 and that the Midwest countries will have their disaster recovery soon. As they wait for the polar vortex to pass and the temperatures to rise, people are posting more weird photos online. This particular one, however, is not from the USA. It is taken from a series of photos posted in 2016, from Siberia, photographed by Svetlana Kazina. However, it does depict the troubles some Americans face in these cold trials, as some people probably can’t even go to the store to purchase toilet paper!
Looking For Hidden Layers
Vehicles today are usually being protected by a thick layer of auto paint, which can withstand a considerable amount of damage or wear before it can start peeling. Poor paint jobs, however, obviously do not endure as much and even prolonged exposure to the sun can cause damage. The photo above is of a Jeep Grand Cherokee, seemingly in good condition with a reasonably good quality paint job. Due to the extreme freezing, the paint seemed to have come right off the car in large strips, as if it were a layer of rubber or latex.
Hamlet, We Believe You!
Pants sculpting isn’t actually a new thing, as people in Siberia do it all the time. The photos do seem to possess a sort of an amusing theatricality (though we don’t think a professional photographer was involved). This particular one comes with a quote from Shakespeare’s masterpiece when Hamlet seemingly discusses the weather with Osric, the Royal Servant. Hamlet is actually describing how much he is annoyed with the conversation the two are having. Osric is everything Hamlet dislikes in a courtier and when Osric tries to imply how serious and ‘hot’ his words to Hamlet are, Hamlet replies: “No, believe me, ‘tis very cold; the wind is northerly.’
Hard Boiled…I Mean Frozen, Please
The Pyeongchang egg experiment, led by a group of young and enthusiastic explorers, produced various results. Besides proving that a sunny side up egg will freeze completely in five minutes when left outside in a frying pan, at 6°F (-14°C), they also wanted to try them hard-boiled, or better said, frozen. After this crew of experts accidentally forgot about the cold-boiled experimental samples in the snow, they returned two days later to find them in the condition in the photo. After peeling the shell off, they got these smooth gold eclipses inside.
The Arrowhead 135, Minnesota
This seemingly weird photo was posted on the web with a comment saying that the man with a frozen beard was Jesse, the location was Minnesota, and the temperature was -26°F (-32°C). The photo is apparently taken at the Arrowhead 135 ultra-marathon, held in Minnesota, which is considered among the hardest races worldwide. The 146 participants race on foot, motorcycles, or skis. The only explanation people came up with regarding this photo was that the extremely low temperature had frozen the engine’s coolant, causing it to heat up quickly and catch fire.
Fire Vs. Ice
In the Chicago area, freezing temperatures have caused rail defects and the responders are burning the tracks to try and keep the public transportation going. This is one of the most popular stories this winter, as Chicago officials released a statement. They explained that metal shrinking from the extremely cold temperatures caused rails to separate at the connecting points. The workers are setting the tracks on fire warming and expanding the metal back again so that they can do the necessary repairs. The media are calling it a medieval solution to our modern problem.
Are Your Walls Insulated?
This photo apparently saw the light of the Internet on Reddit sometime in January 2019. The title of the post said that this was in Chicago and that the wall had no pipes behind it. The people quickly jumped to help this person offering various explanations and advice. According to many, the way this corner was freezing, it was likely that the walls had no insulation behind them. The freezing air outside and the warm air inside of the home probably met at the wall and created a humid surface, which then froze. Many people also advised the owner to file a property insurance claim.
This Took Some Time
This particular photo seems to be from the 2017-2018 winter. It is a part of a Reddit archived post which explains in detail how this happened. Apparently, the hydrant was not drained properly and the valve was left leaking. The water inside began to freeze and expanded so much that it popped the cap off and continued to slowly trickle and freeze over time. If our high school memory serves us well, when liquid water is cooled, it starts contracting until it is approximately 40°F (4°C) cold. Then, as it approaches the freezing point, it begins to expand and ends up approximately 9% larger than when it began freezing.
It Is Dangerous To Walk, Let Alone Drive, In North Dakota
This photo seemed to be taken at a campus in Fargo area, North Dakota, which reportedly had the temperature fall down to -33°K (-36°C). A student posted it, writing that it took only two minutes of him walking across campus for his eyeglasses to freeze over. Fargo, North Dakota, is located at the upper mid-west area, which was hit the worst by the polar vortex and had strong winds, up to 55mph fast. Fargo also reportedly had a victim in a crash on the Interstate 29, at the Kindred Exit during the strongest blizzard.
How Cold Is It From Zero To Can’t-Open-My-Doors?
This is another related Reddit post photo, this time from someone in Iowa. The photo apparently shows the hinges of the doors taken from the inside. Freezing temperatures are known to block people from opening doors in their homes or vehicles. The polar vortex spins counterclockwise and its trail can so far be followed across North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, with Iowa apparently being caught as well. While house insurance does cover water or freezing damage, according to the Insurance Information Institute, one cannot be sure about the damage you might cause when opening frozen doors or windows.
Blending In With The Environment
The photo of this guy with frozen facial hair also made the news and was featured in several articles on well-known websites. It was not said who the man was or where the photo was taken, as it was followed up by a simple comment saying ‘I wish it was summer already.’ The authorities in the mid-west have explicitly advised that people should minimize going outdoors and only venture out if absolutely necessary. Furthermore, people should minimize exposing their skin and breathing even. Scarves, knits, and gloves go without saying.
Maybe This Is Why Santa Rides The Sleigh
This photo was found on Reddit, though people quickly pointed out in the comment section that it was an older photo. Be that as it may, the problem it depicts is certainly age-old. Low temperatures can freeze door locks, making it impossible for people to insert their car keys. There are some quick solutions found on the web that supposedly help, like putting a magnet over the door lock overnight. Another method proposes that dipping the key in vaseline and putting it on the inside of the lock helps, while others also suggest some solutions and various compounds.