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Home  >  Chicago  >  Photos: Flying Over Frozen Lake Michigan
Chicago

Photos: Flying Over Frozen Lake Michigan

Matthew Klint Posted onFebruary 11, 2021February 11, 2021 10 Comments

Earlier this week I had to travel via Chicago and saw something I’ve never seen before: a partially-frozen Lake Michigan. While that may be an annual event for Chicagoans and other Great Lakes residents, it was a new experience for me.

Flying Over Frozen Lake Michigan

Chicago had been hit with consecutive days of sub-zero (Fahrenheit) temperatures and the city looked frozen as I flew over (sadly, on the wrong side of the plane to view the skyscrapers and familiar skyline).

We turned over Lake Michigan before our final approach into Chicago O’Hare, flying over it for at least 10 minutes. During that time, I noticed parts of it frozen over and parts of it with beautiful broken ice, almost like an alien landscape.

Now I realize Lake Michigan generally freezes over at some point during the winter, but this was my first time ever seeing it and I was impressed…and I even shivered sitting in my seat with a blanket wrapped tightly around me.

Living in Los Angeles, I’m a total wimp when it comes to weather, though I’m not sure anyone who just gets used to the -23ºF (-31ºC) blast that met me on the jet bridge. Those little heaters did nothing to stop a frightfully chilling rush of cold air!

To all my friend and readers in Chicago: stay warm!

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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10 Comments

  1. DCJoe Reply
    February 11, 2021 at 4:35 pm

    My family used to have a small vacation home/cottage on a very small lake in mid-Michigan. When I was young it would be frozen solid enough to ice skate on by Christmas every year. By the time I finished college, it would often not freeze until mid-January. By the time it was sold maybe 10 years ago, there were a couple of winters where it never froze solid enough to skate on.

    By the time our kids are middle aged I doubt you will ever see Lake Michigan frozen anywhere south of the Green Bay/Traverse City latitude.

  2. Santastico Reply
    February 11, 2021 at 4:36 pm

    Lol!!! You should visit Minneapolis (better knows as Fronzenapolis) during the winter. The views from an airplane on a clear day are breathtaking.

  3. S Reply
    February 11, 2021 at 5:14 pm

    Been the same in Iowa recently. Hasn’t been above 10 degrees for a week, and the next few days have highs around 0 and lows around -5 to -15 (not even counting wind chill). You really do just get used to it. 45 is a nice day and people will even bust out t-shirts.

    • derek Reply
      February 11, 2021 at 6:35 pm

      Global warming will possibly help Chicago. It’s mostly a secret so far.

  4. Ryan Reply
    February 11, 2021 at 5:18 pm

    The St. Joseph River (a tributary to Lake Michigan) is about 50% frozen in South Bend.

  5. mick Reply
    February 11, 2021 at 5:28 pm

    Come and visit! The lake looks 50% more frozen than it was at the start of the week (looking out of my tower eastward). The river is frozen too. Ive been here for ten years. The winter drags on, but I still enjoy snow and cold. Although, missing the annual February trip to Mexico….

    Winter was very mild until about two weeks ago….

  6. Indy Reply
    February 12, 2021 at 8:03 am

    In “normal” time, I strangely love Chicago winters. The warmth and camaraderie of the city’s bars and restaurants is incredible. Few things are better than a frigid yet sunny February day spent with friends and a few pints. Many Chicagoans are in on the secret – we could never afford to live here if we had LA (or even Nashville) weather. And besides, the cold winters make us appreciate summer even more. The energy on that first 65 degree weekend is intoxicating (as are the patios and beer gardens!).

    • JGRL Reply
      February 12, 2021 at 12:20 pm

      And those Snowbirds who like to fly south during the freezing cold are my annual Scottsdale renters January thru March. They have the life of “Riley” down pat and watch their football teams from their “local Bears/Packers bars” in the desert sunshine. We all find our ways to deal.

  7. WB Reply
    February 12, 2021 at 3:15 pm

    Beautiful shots! Love Chicago, even in winter. I know there are myriad things to see and do there, but Buddy Guy’s Legends on Wabash is always a special place for me when I visit. I met Buddy in person there during a visit in the early 2000’s and he treated me like I was a friend he had known for decades.

  8. UA-NYC Reply
    February 12, 2021 at 10:15 pm

    Great shots of Soldier!

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