Video: Frozen Lake Michigan Lighthouse Looks Like An Enchanted Ice Palace

By Stephen Gossett in News on Dec 20, 2016 4:39PM

This last weekend, as you’re painfully aware, felt like a real-life Day After Tomorrow-style climate-disaster flick in and around Chicago. But as it happens, there was an enchanted, Disney-esque utopia flipside to so much bone-cold dystopia, at least in terms of one breathtaking lakefront image.

The stunning photos and video below capture a beautifully frozen-over lighthouse in St. Joseph, Michigan, just opposite of Chicago on Lake Michigan and due slightly north. The already picturesque tower was instantly frozen over by the combination of rough winds plus subzero temps. Score one for gilding the lily. It looks like some of the best video was shot last Thursday and Friday, which you can see in clips below, via the Washington Post and Joshua Nowicki Photography.

But even as temps have risen and the thaw has ramped up, the ice castle is still an awe-inspiring sight. Check out video from Tuesday morning, again via Nowicki, with added majesty of lapping waves.

Of course, there were eye-popping stills, too. This is probably our favorite.

As Mashable pointed out, the phenomenon also happened in nearly as stunning glory in 2013 and 2014.