Polar vortex freezes Michigan lighthouse

NORTH America is suffering a brutal cold spell just in time for Christmas, and we can’t help thinking it looks like a scene from Frozen.

NORTH America is suffering a brutal cold spell just in time for Christmas.

A polar vortex has settled on the continent’s east, sending temperatures plummeting below zero around New York, Chicago, and the Great Lakes.

The lighthouse in Saint Joseph, Michigan, has transformed into the castle from Frozen. Large icicles have swallowed the entire structure, captured by local photographer Joshua Nowicki.

The mercury will plunge as low as minus 14C today, with a significant wind chill coming straight off Lake Michigan.

This lighthouse in Michigan froze in the frigid weather. Picture: Joshua Nowaski Photography

The structure looks like the fantasy palace from the movie Frozen. Picture: Joshua Nowaski Photography

Temperatures in Saint Joseph dropped as low as minus 14C. Picture: Joshua Nowaski Photography

It’s rare that the entire structure is covered in icicles. Picture: Joshua Nowaski Photography

Just 150 kilometres away in Chicago, commuters have made their way to work bundled up in their wintry finest, covering everything except their faces.

Temperatures in the Windy City dropped to minus 6C, with a wind chill of minus 20C. The weather is forecast to warm slightly in coming days, with rain predicted over the weekend, which could cause bedlam as the fresh snow turns to ice.

According to America’s National Weather Service, a polar vortex occurs when cold air circling around one of the poles expands, sending frigid air to places that are usually much more mild.

A similar phenomenon occurred in 2014, when temperatures plummeted so low even the mighty Niagara Falls froze over.

The chilly weather is currently trapped against America’s Appalachian Mountains, and it’s expected to stick around until the middle of next week.

Commuters leave only their eyes exposed on their way to work in Chicago.

A fishing boat makes its way through a slushy river in Maine.

Fresh snow dusted the streets of Brooklyn, in New York City, at the weekend.