The ice of frozen Lake Michigan

The ice of frozen Lake Michigan crumbled into fragments. This is a rare and very spectacular spring phenomenon.

The polar vortex kept Lake Michigan frozen for much of the winter. In Chicago, Illinois, for example, peak temperatures reached -30ºC, causing ice shelves to form on the lake—mounds created by waves crashing against existing ice formations.

But everything ends sooner or later. Spring brought warming to the region, destroying the previously thick layer of ice and turning the region into a magical wonderland.

As water moved under the ice, ice sheets began to form and eventually began to overlap each other, creating amazing patterns that could be seen along almost the entire South Haven pier.