For the good folks in the US, especially the Midwest, Frozen became a harsh reality, all thanks to the Polar Vortex. This unfamiliar term sounds like a really cheesy sci-fi movie, but in reality, it is an area of low pressure that lies near either of the poles on planet Earth. Normally, the low pressure of swirling winds keeps the frigid air locked up at the North Pole but this time it has been disturbed and sent freezing air towards the South.
The entire Midwest in USA and parts of Canada suffered from sudden blizzards and witnessed significant drop in temperatures. While obviously this proved challenging in carrying out daily routines, it also created some funny situations. Take a look at these pictures to see how people faced freezing circumstances but also made light of it...
No Way Out!
There is no way you would look at this picture and not think that it didn't come from a scene of a horror movie, because this image literally sent a chill down our spine (no pun intended!) The image itself makes us feel the chilly, even if we were not actually present there to witness the cold.
If this is what the inside looks like, imagine prying those doors open to see how much ice and snow lays beyond it. No thanks! We'll just wait inside.
Chill-ing, Literally!
While some people were cribbing about the blizzards, many others couldn’t help themselves from enjoying this cold, harsh winter. As you can see, this band of brothers made a sculpture of a shark out of all the snow that had accumulated in front of their house.
There are many such pictures of people making different kinds of 'snow-art' and it gives a little relief to know that everyone is still jovial and even making the most out of a snowy day, while creating memories to last a lifetime.
Dare to Touch It?
You see what we see, right? We can’t believe our eyes, but that is not some prop from a Hollywood movie about the end of the world. The harsh, cold situation escalated to a whole new level, when the weather managed to freeze some toilet paper left in an outhouse. Now that's some serious bad weather!
There are many such images to be found on the internet, where people witnessed their everyday household items freezing over. But does anyone have any tips on how to thaw toilet paper?
Holy-Mold!!!
When it rained in the Midwest, it rained just for a couple of hours and then the sudden drop in temperature caused all that rain water to freeze. This resulted in ice-casts of various outdoor objects which were left out in the rain and were frozen solid. Take for instance, this ice mold of a car wheel.
Some surprised car owner would have had a hard laugh seeing this sight early in the morning, as he or she was ready to leave for work.
Pipe Freezing Cold!!!
If this is what pipes look like in every household during the cold weather, we bet plumbers are going to have a field day once the snow subsides and routine life ensues. Many households experienced the problem of pipes bursting, due to ice being formed, and had to go a few days without running water.
What was the solution you ask? They either had to buy bottled water or needed to melt the snow from outside, if they were not supplied water. Seems like something Bear Grylls would do in Man vs. Wild, had he been snowed in at home!
Frozen Hinges
This is a picture of a door hinge. Not just any old door hinge, this one has been frozen from the outside! Due to continuous drop in temperature, ice started forming on metal fixtures, even the ones inside the houses. You know the cold is bad when ice starts permeating your homes and freezes metal!
Looks like the fireplace would have been a safe place to keep warm and we would recommend staying by it, until it got warmer outside.
Poor Flora and Fauna
This one just makes us sad. The pretty flowers look like they're in bad shape, shrivelling and dying from all that ice and hard weather. With temperatures dropping rapidly, it proved to be very dangerous for flowers, plants and shrubs to survive.
Some places even saw tall grasses and grounds completely blanketed with snow, hiding all the foliage beneath it for days at end! If plants could pray, we are sure they would ask for some sunshine and warm weather.
Ghost Apples
Farmers were in for a surprise in Michigan when they saw apple shaped glass-like ornaments hanging from trees that looked like a charmed object from a fairy tale. Instead, it was formed when rain fell onto the apples causing them to freeze.
Since apples have lower freezing point than water, it defrosts and falls out leaving behind an apple shaped ice mold. That surely is a thing one gets to see once in a lifetime and it definitely looks beautiful.
Ready, Steady, Ski!
Though it was freezing cold outside, that did not stop some people from making most out of a snowy day. Several people enjoyed skiing right in their backyard without going to a ski resort and paying a hefty entry price. Since schools were closed due to bad weather, this seemed like an apt thing to do.
We appreciate these high-spirited people, since the weather is not helping much but these guys were facing adversities with a smile on their faces and ski poles in their hands.
Even Fountains are Freezing
Talking about hilarious situations, here is a picture of people are taking selfies of themselves in front of a frozen fountain, making it an odd backdrop and a weird sight to see. To be fair, if we ever saw a fountain freeze over, we would whip out our smartphones in a jiffy!
The polar vortex caused almost everything to freeze and all those poor things outside got the worst of it. On a lighter note, should we call it “frofoufi”? A new term for taking selfies in front of frozen fountains!
Grocery Shopping in Polar Vortex
Ran out of groceries at home, whilst you're in the middle of a polar vortex? No worries, first wear your ski suit, then your goggles, and take your sledge out from the garage. That’s how people in Canada were going about for grocery shopping.
Due to heavy snowfall roads were covered with snow and it was proving an impossible task to drive any vehicle. But this sure looks like the best idea yet. You have to do what you have to do to get some food!
Snow Storm in Buffalo
This is a picture taken of Buffalo, a beautiful city on the shores of Lake Erie in upstate New York. It looks like it is not raining, instead it’s raining snow in this cold weather. Ominous and beautiful at the same time, right?
Although, the disruption in the polar vortex effected Midwest entirely, parts of Western New York witnessed a sudden drop in temperature and Buffalo had severe snow showers and wind chills. But things got better over next few days as the vortex dived southwards.
Trouble for Homeless
While many were warm and safe in their houses in this cold weather, the homeless found it very difficult. With shelters at full capacity, many of them had no option but to camp out on streets in this brutally cold weather.
But humanity was still alive and it was proven true when people rallied for their well-being and city officials as well as good samaritans helped them out as much as they could. It was reported that a good samaritan in Chicago helped as many as 70 homeless people by putting them up in a hotel. This surely brings out a beautiful face of us humans.
Snow-capped Cars
As you can see, people had a tough time facing the after effects of heavy snowfall that made their cars stuck in snow. With city officials working round the clock to shovel ice from roads, it still was not enough, all due to the non-stop spell of blizzards.
Cars were not only stuck in snow, but because of rains, their doors were frozen shut and many car owners had tough time opening them, let alone drive in the bad weather.
Tracks of Fire
No, this is not a picture of some protest or even the world ending, instead there is a logical reason why the railway tracks were set on fire. Chicago's Metra commuter train rails were lit on fire to prevent steel from contracting due to historically cold temperatures.
Steel contracts when it is exposed to extreme cold. Bolts can come loose and it can create cracks in the tracks, which poses a huge risk of train derailments. So to prevent any tragedy from happening Metra set tracks ablaze so that public transport does nor halt or get affected.
"Frozen" Lake Michigan
Polar vortex helped in building up a very thick layer of ice on beautiful Lake Michigan and the result was a frozen wonderland from our dreams. Those poor fish underneath all that ice must have been left frozen solid!
Several flights were cancelled and the cold weather disrupted the common man's life. But, if looked at it from a different perspective, Mother Nature gave us some very awe-inspiring and majestic sights, that which we rarely ever get to see.
Bubble Frosting Winters!!!
Did you know that the spine-chilling cold can turn something as simple as a bubble into art? Look at this picture carefully, it is not a photoshopped image but rather a photo of a bubble made of soap and water, just like we used to make em in the good ol' days.
The difference here is that the cold actually cased them to freeze over, even before they hit the ground. Now that's something you don't get to witness everyday!
Frozen Eggs, Anyone?
Talking about cold, we all like our eggs cooked and served warm, don't we? Some like it sunny side up, some scramble them but we are pretty sure nobody likes them raw and frozen! A bunch of very curious people in the Midwest decided to see what happened if they cracked an egg out in the cold.
And because the Midwest was essentially a giant freezer during the Polar Vortex, we got to see this amazing sight of an egg that froze midway while being cracked and held itself up without any support!
A Walk in the Snow
Although there were many warnings issues in some parts of the country for people to not venture outside, people still needed to venture out and walk down to their destinations for work or getting supplies. Look on the bright side, its a surreal experience walking on a snowed down path with no people or cars around.
We would like to imagine that this couple is getting nostalgic about how they first met. After all, there is something very romantic about snow, isn't it?
Ice-y Niagara!!!
The cold snap turned beautiful Niagara falls into a stark dreamland of sorts and it sure looks like it has always been in this perpetual state. Despite the adverse condition, the place was swarming with tourists, both on the Canadian and American sides of the falls, who wanted to capture stunning images of the Niagara during polar vortex. There is steam rising from the Falls, as the water is warmer, and the freezing air around it creates an exquisite scene.
Angry Mailbox!!!
This picture of an angry mailbox is doing the rounds on internet and has us in splits. The reason behind the angry mailbox could be the suspension of US Postal Services in 10 states due to extremely unfavorable weather, which is a rare occurrence, given the history of their commitment to deliver your mail, come hail or storm.
Well, we sure hope that this bad weather subsided soon enough, so that this angry mailbox could meet with its friend, the mailman, again.
Shovel, Shovel All The Way!!!
Didn’t get time to exercise? No worries, this weather has you covered in the workout department. Apart from people getting unexpected holidays and enjoying the snow, shoveling proved to be a huge undesirable, but necessary task.
With heavy snowfall, the arduous activity of shoveling snow can easily replace your regular work out regime. Two birds with one stone, isn't it? And you get to do that all over again, the next day! Yay!
Day After Tomorrow?
This is not a still from the movie Day After Tomorrow. It is picture that went viral on the internet, as it shows how cold it got in Chicago recently. Looks like Chicago was worst hit by the sudden change in swirling winds over the North Pole.
With Chicago O’Hare Airport recording temperature as low as -23oF, the highest recorded temperature was -10oF. We're not even kidding you. It caused Lake Michigan to freeze over entirely and the whole city looked like a winter wasteland for days.
Eyes Ice!!!
That picture is pretty much the best visual representation of the bitter cold in the Midwest, where people's eyelashes and moustaches looked like snowcapped bushes. Almost everyone was forced to wait it out inside their homes, as venturing outside could prove fatal because of the low temperature, heavy snowfall and black ice on roads and sidewalks. The Polar Vortex was certainly not kind to those who were homeless.
Antifreeze?
There's nothing much to say here. It just got so cold that the antifreeze froze! If that isn't irony, we don't know what is. If you didn't know, antifreeze is made up of ethylene glycol, which is usually mixed with 30% water to but put into our vehicles to protect their engines, ensuring us a smooth ride.
Antifreeze, on it's own, when not mixed with water, is said to freeze at minus 34F. Care to hazard a guess as to what the temperature might have been where this bottle of antifreeze was left out in the open?
Picturesque Snow!!!
Well, this harsh weather is making it difficult for everyone but this picture looks like it has come straight from an artist's canvas. Our heart goes out to that brave soul who thought that she/he could take their car out and drive in that much snow.
All we know is that, if the snow covers more than half your tires height, it's advisable to stay indoors or just walk it out to wherever you need to be. Investing in some good snow shoes is recommended.
Frozen House on Fire!!!
The blizzards were proving difficult for everyone, and the welfare servicemen such as firefighters were put on high alert to contain and avert any major incidents. In one such occurrence, there was a fire at a residential unit that was reported.
When it was extinguished successfully by the firemen, using foam and water, this is what the scene looked like. Of course, the low temperatures froze the water deposited on the property, creating a haunted-looking house of sorts.
Fun in The Snow!!!
Snow brought out the artistic abilities in a lot of people, who were perhaps, simply bored at home. Much like the huge shark we met earlier, a few young boys put in some elbow grease and probably spent hours making this giant snow-octopus, right outside their house.
How kind of them to make a tentacle arch that leads to their home's doorway. Why is the sea creature surprised, you ask? He's probably wondering what his fate will be when the sun comes out and the temperature rises.
Going to Daycare, eh?
Even on a slightly chilly day, our maternal instincts guide us to bundle up the kids in layers and layers of clothes to protect them from the cold and any illnesses it may bring. Given that the tiny ones do not have a strong enough immune system as yet and don't know any better, parents like to really go all out in finding every piece of warm clothing they can pile onto their kid, up to the point where they may not be able to walk or stand properly! But it does result in so many cute wrapped-up babies, who look like penguins waddling in the snow.
Creepy Freezing House
For some folks, their houses almost turned into an igloo when it started to freeze from inside. Yup, that totally happened and we have pictures to prove it. Fans of the TV series Game of Thrones would probably be familiar with the scenes where the villainous ice-beings (knows as White Walkers), show up to any place and the interiors start freezing because of their mere presence.
We really wouldn't be surprised if an actual White Walked took this photo. After all, this Polar Vortex gave us some pretty unbelievable sights which we may never have seen before.
Pants Talking Cold!!!
It was so cold in some US states that it froze wet clothes! Of course, this was meant to be a hilarious prank played by some very funny people, but they left clothes like jeans and shirts outside for a couple of hours after soaking them well in water.
Once they checked on them again, they were frozen solid, ready to be displayed proudly like a modern art installation. Looks like dark weather brings out the funny and creative side of some people.
Winter is Coming
It was a pretty serious situation for the people of Chicago, where there were warnings of extreme wind-chill conditions with record breaking subzero temperatures. As this picture proves, even the roadsides of Chicago had walls of ice.
Day-to-day life came to a halt and several public schools were closed due to dangerous temperatures. There were also some reported casualties, as the roads practically turned into skating rinks and people lost control of their vehicles.
Cold Makes Me Grumpy!
“I do not like this weather. It’s cold and I do not have warm clothes”. May be this is what they wanted to say when they turned a frozen tree into graffiti. It sure looks grumpy and we would be too, if we had to stand all day and night in the cold.
The weather proved to be extremely testing for vegetation and wild animals. While thankfully, the snow works as an insulator for their roots, only after spring does one come to know of the actual damage caused to them.
Winter Queen's Bed?
Does that look like a still from Narnia? Does it not resemble the wicked Winter Queen’s bed? Actually, that's not a movie prop but instead it's a fountain located in the very famous Bryant Park in New York City.
Temperatures kept dropping during the polar vortex and formed ice around the fountain that sure looked like it was taken from a movie set. Well, the polar vortex actually managed to create some hilarious situations like these, which also looks oddly beautiful, doesn't it?
Alien? Nope, Just a cold Human
The person in this picture has not landed on our planet from a UFO; instead he is just a normal person, going to his office, covered head to toe. Sudden drop in temperatures forced people to wear layer of clothing to avoid catching a chill or even frostbite.
Locals were advised not to go outside in some parts of the country where the polar vortex had its worst impact. Well, looking at this picture we wonder if he still could feel the cold or even see where he was going!