winter

Triple Dip Polar Vortex coming for Michigan

Posted on December 4, 2025 by farlane

Shark Attack – Triple X by Jill N. Hamilton-Krawczyk

Accuweather shares that much of the US and definitely Michigan is facing a rare “triple dip” polar vortex:

“This Arctic air outbreak can be attributed to a displacement of the polar vortex,” AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said. “The outbreak this week will be the first of probably three such rounds with it. Another cold blast is likely next week and a third the week after that,” Pastelok explained. “The waves of Arctic air will lead to significant surges in energy demands.”

I originally shared this photo way back on April 1, 2010 along with a pretty funny spoof, and I am very happy to bring it back along with several more that Jill shared from The Heidelberg Project in Detroit, a truly astonishing work of activist art. See many more in her excellent Detroit gallery on Flickr & stay warm people!!

Happy 2025 Back into the Woods Day!

Posted on December 1, 2025 by farlane

Winter … a step at a time by Ken Scott

Longtime readers know that “Back Into the Woods Day” is one of the invented Michigan holidays we celebrate on Michigan in Pictures. It’s an annual December 1st holiday that celebrates the end of firearm deer hunting season & the return of (mostly) gun free hiking trails.

Today’s photo is from Leelanau photographer Ken Scott, and I’d like to be sure to highlight his 2026 “Best of the Back Pages” Calendar that features some of his great photos from the back page of the weekly Leelanau Enterprise. See a few more below including these amazing snowy owl tracks and many in Ken’s massive snow gallery on Flickr.

Click for more Michigan photo calendars from photographers we feature on Michigan in Pictures!

Find Black Friday on a 2026 Michigan Calendar!

Posted on November 28, 2025November 28, 2025 by farlane

Sand and snow at Little Point Sable Lighthouse by Neil Weaver Photography

I am thinking that a good way to help support the photographers who make Michigan in Pictures so cool is to feature their calendars & photos as potential holiday gifts. In a way, you are also supporting the protection of the beautiful places featured in these calendars by sharing that beauty with the people you love!

Neil has been a favorite photographer for a long time now for his excellent work as well as for his photography workshops like the upcoming Munising Winter Workshop that make great gifts as well! He says that you can get his 2026 Michigan Calendar while they last & is also offering 25% off all prints orders through this week with the code: HOLIDAY25 at NeilWeaverPhoto.com.

PS: You will be able to find the calendars featured predictably enough at the Calendar tag on Michigan in Pictures!

PPS: I probably won’t get to them all this year, so be sure to check the links on the Michigan Photographers page!

Iced Over on Mackinac Island

Posted on April 14, 2025 by farlane

Iced Over by Joann’s Fudge of Mackinac Island

Today is one of those days when I see the photo first and go looking for the post because honestly WOW! So here are some updates:

Last week Gov Whitmer met with President Trump & officially requested a Presidential Emergency Declaration for 12 counties and the Little Traverse Bands of Odawa. The request has nothing to do with FEMA actions or the ongoing process to pursue a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration, which is required to access longer-term recovery programs.
mLive shares that nearly 1,000,000 acres of state forest were impacted by the ice storm. As recovery efforts continue, more than a dozen state parks are closed along with all state-managed trails in the 12 affected counties.
The State of Michigan has some vetted places for your donations.
Bridge shares that Tax Day is tomorrow, but ice storm victims can request additional time for their taxes
Also from Bridge, Michigan likely lost 1/3 of our 90,000 gallon maple syrup crop – we’ll just buy it from Canada, right?
And finally, Mackinac Island shared that while some roads & trails may be closed, they will be ready to welcome visitors starting April 25th.

When the huge ice storm hit, Joann’s Fudge of Mackinac Island shared this photo & noted they might suffer some shipping delays. In addition to a donation to one of the places above, consider buying a little fudge from Joann’s! Here are some more great shots including one of them taking advantage of the ice storm by playing hockey and some great lilac photos from the upcoming Mackinac Island Lilac Festival (June 6-16, 2025). See lots more of their pics on their Facebook.

Northern Michigan Ice Is (not) Nice

Posted on April 1, 2025 by farlane

Deer in the ice storm by Jeremy Bassett

From Friday night through Sunday morning, Northern Lower Michigan was hit with a massive ice storm that left tens of thousands without power, closed the Mackinac Bridge with “the worst ice we’ve every seen on the Bridge”, and led Gov Whitmer to declare a state of emergency in Otsego, Oscoda, Montmorency, Presque Isle, Emmet, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Mackinac and Alpena counties. Great Lakes Energy shared the status as of yesterday morning

Since the storm began, power has been restored to over 56,000 members.

Just over 45,000 Great Lakes Energy (GLE) members remain without power this morning across 15 of our 26 counties.

Unfortunately, a new storm system hit our southern territory late yesterday, causing additional damage and compounding restoration challenges.

Here are some more pics by Great Lakes Energy Facebook along with some from the Mackinac Bridge Authority, Interlochen Public Radio, and the deer at the top and the last two of escaped horses and the ice storm in Onaway by Jeremy Bassett via 9 & 10 News.

Got any to share? Post them on our Facebook or in the comments below!!

(not) Feeding America

Posted on March 27, 2025March 27, 2025 by farlane

Not Today by Mark Smith

“A lot of that food was really good food. It was protein.“

-Ken Estelle, President & CEO of Feeding America West Michigan

Fox 17 West Michigan reported on Monday that Feeding America West Michigan has learned that the USDA has “paused” 32 truckloads of food scheduled to arrive from April to June.

The organization is now working to replace about 600,000 pounds of meat, cheeses and milk that would have come from these USDA shipments. “We’re looking at our current food suppliers, and donors, but we’re also looking at the fact that we’re going to have to purchase food in order to fill in some of the gaps,” Estelle explained.

A USDA grant allowing the food bank to purchase from Michigan farms was also initially suspended but has since been reinstated through October following meetings with elected officials. “We’re just getting into the Michigan growing season and we have made commitments to a lot of these smaller farms of what we would be able to purchase from them. So they were… the farms were also depending on us to be able to be one of their customers for their products,” said Estelle.

No word yet on if hungry folks in West Michigan will be able to “pause” their hunger, so consider a donation to Feeding America West Michigan or your local food bank. Big fan of Forgotten Harvest in Metro Detroit.

Mark took this photo back in March of 2017 when the Popp farmstand on the Leelanau Peninsula was closed as it normally is. See lots more from Northern Leelanau County in his East of Leland gallery on Flickr.

Blue Ice at the Straits of Mackinac

Posted on March 21, 2025March 21, 2025 by farlane

Blue Ice at the Straits of Mackinac by Martin Hogan Photography

Although winter “officially” ended yesterday, the snowy pictures I’m seeing from around Michigan this morning make me feel OK sharing these pics Marty got of blue ice on the Straits of Mackinac last weekend. Click to follow Marty on Facebook & for sure check out some of his past photos on Michigan in Pictures!

If you are wondering Why Ice is Blue, Michigan in Pictures says (in part):

As with water, this color is caused by the absorption of both red and yellow light (leaving light at the blue end of the visible light spectrum) … In simplest of terms, think of the ice or snow layer as a filter. If it is only a centimeter thick, all the light makes it through; if it is a meter thick, mostly blue light makes it through. This is similar to the way coffee often appears light when poured, but much darker when it is in a cup.

There are only two seasons

Posted on March 7, 2025 by farlane

Amur Tiger I by tweetybird42766

There are only two seasons – winter and Baseball.
Bill Veeck

The Detroit Tigers home opener on Friday, April 4 against the Chicago White Sox is less than a month away, and I have to agree with one of baseball’s greatest showmen on this perfectly rational method of dividing the year.

Tweety Bird shared this astonishing shot way back in 2014 at Potter Park Zoo. See more in their Nature gallery.

Apparently, there are only 500 Amur tiger (formerly Siberian tiger) in the world, so zoos are an important method of conservation. They’re totally chill in the cold & you can learn more about Amur tiger from BBC Earth.

Red Fox at Howell Nature Center by tweetybird42766

Winter in the shade, winter in da Yoop!

Posted on March 6, 2025 by farlane

winter, upper tahquamenon falls, michigan by twurdemann

“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.“
-Charles Dickens

…and it is also winter in the UP! While rains are expected to wash much of the snow from Michigan today, mLive Chief Meteorologist Mark Torregrossa shares that the National Weather Service is predicting 10-15″ of snow for areas of the Upper Peninsula including as much as TWO FEET of snow for the western UP!

twurdemann shares that this incredible winter wonderland is created by freezing spray/mist from the waterfall at Michigan’s Tahquamenon Falls State Park & the brown tannins in the water. Check out more in their Winter gallery on Flickr that includes some KNOCKOUT ice cave photos from the Canadian shore of Lake Superior!

Dreaming of Spring, Living in Winter

Posted on February 24, 2025 by farlane

1052 by paulh192

“It is always safe to dream of spring. For it is sure to come; and if it be not just as we have pictured it, it will be infinitely sweeter.” ― L.M. Montgomery

Paul has been a member of the Absolute Michigan group on Flickr for a long time. He shared this incredible photo from May 2024 that makes me long for spring a few weeks ago. He took it in , so in the interests of being seasonally balanced, here’s one of his most popular photos on Flickr from way back in 2013 at the Grand Haven Lighthouse. Head over to his Flickr for lots more!

Grand Haven State Park Lighthouse by paulh192

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