Cold weather tricks: Sun dogs, arctic sea smoke create amazing Great Lakes views

Subzero cold in Minnesota winter creates some challenges for us, but it also produces some pretty amazing sights.

Recent frigid mornings have produced sun dogs like the image above. Here’s a post from the Twin Cities National Weather Service office:

Sun dogs and other cold weather optical phenomena are created when ice crystals in the frigid atmosphere refract sunlight and beak it into parts of the visible light spectrum.

Tuesday’s bitter chill produced arctic sea smoke across the Great Lakes including Lake Superior.

Here’s some incredible video of sea smoke on Lake Michigan near Chicago Tuesday:

Arctic sea smoke is produced when there is a great temperature contrast between still relatively mild lake water temperatures in the 30s and bitter subzero air temperatures.

The lakes transfer heat into the frigid atmosphere above. When the air above the water reaches its dew point, condensation occurs. The result: wisps of steam that get the name arctic sea smoke.

Here’s how the American Meteorological Society (AMS) glossary defines arctic sea smoke.

Arctic Sea Smoke

Steam fog, but often specifically applied to steam fog rising from small open water within sea ice.

So at least we can enjoy some cool atmospheric phenomena as a benefit of our frigid air masses on the Great Lakes this time of year.