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weather20h ago
Ethereal ice structures swirl alongside Chicago during extreme cold snap fueled by polar vortex — Earth from space
- New satellite photo shows ethereal ice ribbons swirling along Lake Michigan during an extreme January cold snap.
- About 20% of Lake Michigan’s surface was ice-covered during the photo’s capture.
- The pattern formed by offshore winds and shoreline dynamics created flowing ribbons rather than uniform ice sheets.
- NOAA and GLERL provided context on the cold snap and lake ice extent in the Great Lakes region.
- The 2025 event followed a polar-vortex shift that intensified Arctic cold in the eastern United States.
- Live Science notes the ice patterns are a notable visual on Earth from space archives.
- Lake ice typically peaks later, making this early pattern notable for January.
- The spectacle adds to historical contrasts of Arctic patterns affecting Great Lakes winters.
- The image aids understanding of ice formation dynamics in large freshwater lakes.
- NASA’s Earth Observatory provided expert interpretation on the ice patterns.
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