• Friday-What'sUP January 4 - 08:18 pm

It's hard to believe that winter only began two weeks ago, since here UP North we've been dealing with winter weather, both in frigid temperatures and daily snowfall accumulations for over a month now. Mike Schneider captured a great example of the transition from fall to winter in his first shot here today. That leaf was sitting on a rock along the Carp River and became frozen in place there for the winter now. I imagine the snow covers it, then blows away at times, to reveal it there once again, reminding us that winter has only just begun.

Mike's remaining shots keep the reality of the winter temps in check for us all, with the beautiful ice diamonds that form, the build up of ice on the breakwall in Marquette from the splashing waves and the icy coating he captured with the early morning sunrise giving it all a golden glow.

Whether you live here in the U.P. or just visit us in the winter through these pages…you have to admit that the frigid cold and plentiful snowfall, sure make for some beautiful scenes

'Artistic' photos, Mike. Before enlarging it I thought the first one was someone's ice-fishing 'catch' in a frying pan. I need glasses!;>
Thanks, Mary!

We too have had "winter" well before the actual date. The wind, snow and blowing today makes one wonder if spring will arrive any time soon. Sure doesn't seem like it. Next Monday they don't expect to get even above zero in the daytime and seriously debate whether there might even be school at all. It can be so dangerous. I feel so bad for folks who have to be outdoors for their jobs. And I pray for any innocent creatures who may need shelter. This all makes me think of the blizzards I used to read of in my childhood books!

I love the last 2 pictures. They are awesome!

We are so cold here (not today, but normally).
They've already called school off for Monday of next
week. The high is supposed to only reach -18.
That's horrible. But I sure don't remember school
being called for cold weather. Winter has been
awful so far!

People wondered why when I made mention last August my horses were starting to grow their winter hair. They knew! ;)

Don't worry Shirley, when I first looked at it I thought "that's the strangest looking fish I've ever seen!!".........

I just love the artsy photos today!We are surrounded by frozen beauty!

Very nice...the last one looks like a Budweiser tree. Been meaning to get one of those.

That is really cold, Deb. It isn't often that they call off school for Monday on the Friday before. They were saying this morning what I had said yesterday, that this is the coldest weather for the Midwest & the Plains in 30 years; ouch!

Beautiful photos. Oak leaves have a knack 4 hanging around through the Winter.

Thanks, Capt., that makes me feel better.;)

Beautiful,beautiful pictures today. The weather may be frigid but
the winter beauty of the UP is breath taking!

I know, Marianne. I think the lows are going to get
into the -30's. Kids just can't stand outside
waiting for the bus in that stuff. It's supposed to
start tomorrow. I had to work this morning and it's
solid ice out there on the sidewalks and driveways.
Horrible! People are breaking their ice scrapers by
trying to scrape the ice off of their windows.
Well, hopefully it doesn't last too long, but this
is sure a deep freeze!

Winter has arrived with a vengeance here in S. Lyon, MI. More like the winter I remember as a child in the Keweenaw.

I just read that the Governor of Minnesota has called off all schools (presumably K-12) for Monday in the state because of the forecast dangerously low wind chill temperatures on Monday. Ouch!

I know. That's what I said in my earlier post, that
school had already been called off. I'm kind of
hoping they order us all to stay home :-)

I've got an idea ~ let's all go down and visit Erica in FL!!;)

I had assumed from your post that just the schools in your local district were called off, sorry, Deb. I had no idea they had called off schools for the entire state. No doubt, it will be wicked cold from at least North Dakota/SD, Iowa (where my farm is), into Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana the next few days.

Our kids here in Midland had a snow day on the Friday before Christmas, and I won't be surprised to see a snow day Monday, what was supposed to be their first day back after Christmas vacation. This is totally a real Michigan winter again, the first in many years!