winter

Michigan at 300k

Posted on March 3, 2026March 3, 2026 by farlane

Last Friday, my Absolute Michigan photo group on Flickr crossed a major milestone when Mark Smith added the 300,000th photo to the group! I created the group 20 years ago to support my Absolute Michigan supersite which was regrettably demolished by the Pure Michigan campaign. Regrets aside, the group remains an incredible place for seeing images from every corner of the Great Lakes State taken by nearly 4000 members (3,930 to be exact). From Alanson to Midland to Zeeland you can find photos of parks, parties, & people enjoying everything Michigan has to offer.

If you’re a photographer on Flickr & would like to share your photos, check out this group topic for the details! Also consider joining our Michigan in Pictures Group on Facebook!

Here are a few more shots from Mark’s excellent Barn gallery on Flickr . For sure click through to see them all & head over to Leelanau Landscapes view & purchase his work!

Ever seen a Ghost Apple?

Posted on February 27, 2026 by farlane

Ghost Apple on Fruit Ridge by Andrew Sietsema

Robinette’s Apple Haus & Winery shared this photo taken several years ago by Andrew Sietsma on West Michigan’s Fruit Ridge, asking Ever seen a Ghost Apple?

This rare winter phenomenon was captured in the Fruit Ridge area of Kent County, Michigan when freezing rain coated apples still hanging on the trees. The fruit eventually fell away, leaving behind these wild, hollow ice apples ❄️ Moments like this are uncommon, these photos were taken several years ago during just the right conditions 🧊🍎

I confess that even though I grew up surrounded by orchards that I have not, and it is extremely cool! Here are a couple more shots from Robinette’s Facebook post!

Sun Pillar vs Sun Pillar

Posted on February 25, 2026 by farlane

Sun Pillars by Stephen Michael Mannina

Atmospheric Optics explains that the mesmerizing solar phenomena known as sun pillars are:

…Typically visible near sunset or sunrise, pillars can reach heights of 5 to 10 degrees, and occasionally even higher. While they may appear as vertical rays, they are actually the collective glints of millions of ice crystals. When it comes to colors, pillars are truly a sight to behold. They take on hues that reflect the sun and surrounding clouds, ranging from brilliant white to various shades of yellow, red, or purple. Depending on the locations of the cloud crystals, pillars can even manifest as several vertically strung patches of light. As the light interacts with the ice crystals in the atmosphere, it creates a stunning display that captivates observers.

Yesterday morning, I came across this photo by Stephen right before I saw him making a positive comment on a photo that Sean – the photographer I featured yesterday – had taken. This was soon after I had seen photos Neil Weaver had taken at an ice cave photography workshop along with fellow Michpics photographer Aubrieta Hope. It made me realize that a huge and underrated part of Michigan in Pictures is the community of real live human beings that are as passionate about their fellow photographers as they are about introducing people to their favorite parts of Michigan. That’s a long way of saying that I am going to be working on ways to showcase the people out there clicking the shutter. One way will be to revive the Michigan Photographer Profiles with a focus on the photographers on my Michigan Photographers page. Stay tuned!!

Thanks to Stephen for allowing me to share both of these awesome sun pillar shots. He’s facing a problem that many photographers face: figuring out which of these two photos is the best to submit for a photography contest? Have a vote? Share it in the comments below or on his Facebook post and for sure view & purchase his work on his website!

Crystal Blue Persuasion

Posted on February 23, 2026 by farlane

Crystal Blue Persuasion by Sheen Watkins Photography

Sheen captured the crystal blue of the ice with a bit of pastel sky thrown in on the Straits of Mackinac over the weekend. Head over to her Facebook page for the latest including a tasty shot of the mighty Mackinac Bridge with the same sky & for sure check out her website for more work!

Thundersnow Season

Posted on February 19, 2026February 19, 2026 by farlane

thundersnow aftermath by Christian Collins

A reader commented that they had seen lightning & heard the rumble of thunder yesterday, an observation shared by numerous folks around the state. Although a lot of the online articles are hyping up thunder snow as a dangerous or abnormal phenomenon, it’s not.

The NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory’s Severe Weather 101 explains that although thunderstorms are less common in the winter, sometimes lightning does occur within a snowstorms and is called thundersnow. Thundersnow can be found where there is relatively strong instability and abundant moisture above the surface, such as above a warm front. Thundersnow is sometimes observed downstream of the Great Salt Lake and the Great Lakes during lake-effect snowstorms too.

Christian took this back in February if 2017. See more in his barns – graneros gallery on Flickr.

PS: If anyone in the Upper Peninsula captured yesterday’s thundersnow on video, the National Weather Service Marquette Office would love to see it!

Wacky Weather Warning

Posted on February 18, 2026 by farlane

Cold as Ice by Tom Hughes

mLive’s Mark Torregrossa says that although states can have wacky temperature patterns in the heart of a storm system, Michigan is the only place we can mix those storm system temperatures with our mitten and our powerful lakes! Mark shares that warm air will move in from the south while an easterly and northeasterly wind will funnel frigid air from ice-covered Lake Huron over Northern Lower Michigan:

Somewhere around Saginaw, Bay City, Clare and Traverse City, we could have a big shock going from temperatures in the 50s to temperatures near freezing.

Imagine going from Ann Arbor to Bay City to visit family Wednesday afternoon. You open the door in Ann Arbor to see what it’s like outside. It’s a common ritual at this time of year. It’s very nice. It’s 61 degrees, which right now feels like a spring dream. So you put on a light jacket and start driving north. You get out of your car in Bay City, and you freeze.

Definitely a day to keep an eye on the updated forecast!!

Tom captured this ice covered beauty in Utica way back in 2015. See more in his Winter gallery on Flickr!

Emerald Ice Cave

Posted on February 16, 2026 by farlane

Grand Island Ice Curtain by Craig Sterken Photography

Craig shared this archive photo of an ice cave on Grand Island on Lake Superior. Follow him on Facebook for the latest and view & purchase his work on his website.

Michigan Ice Fest is taming frozen falls in the Upper Peninsula

Posted on February 11, 2026February 11, 2026 by farlane

Ice Climber by James Marvin Phelps

Frozen Flow by James Marvin Phelps

Michigan Ice Fest is an annual ice climbing event that kicks off today and runs February 11-15, 2026 in Munising in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The event is an annual celebration of the sport of ice climbing with competitions, clinics, and plenty of social fun! National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation has an interview with Michigan Ice Fest organizer Bill Thompson below that you should check out.

James took these photos last January in the Pictured Rocks. See more in his Michigan Waterfalls gallery and visit James Marvin Phelps Art to view & purchase his work!

Ice Cave Season on the Sleeping Bear Lakeshore

Posted on February 6, 2026February 6, 2026 by farlane

via Leelanau.com…

Empire Ice Caves by Robin Lane

Robin shared these otherworldly shots of the ice caves on Empire Beach in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore earlier this week. Click the pics to see them bigger & follow her on Instagram for more!

As with any time we share photos of ice caves, we need to caution you that you can 100% lose your life exploring ice caves. Be smart.

It can be dangerous because you might think you’re walking on solid ground, when actually you’re out over the water. Due to the layered nature of shelf ice, even if you’re out over four feet of water, if you were to fall through a thin spot in the ice, you could find yourself trapped in an ice cavern and even though you may not be fully submerged in the water, you’re unable to get out because the walls of the cavern are ice and impossible to climb.

Michigan athletes bound for the Winter Olympics!

Posted on February 5, 2026 by farlane

Winter by Kevin Ryan

CBS Detroit reports that there will be 17 Olympians from Michigan on Team USA out of the nearly 230 athletes we’re sending to Milan-Cortina, Italy. Athletes range from old timers like 5-time Olympian & gold medalist Nick Baumgartner or dual gold medal winning freestyle skier Kaila Kuhn to Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin to first time hopefuls. Best of luck to all these Team USA athletes!