GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — Michigan winters can be lovely, and this eye-catching blue ice has many braving Northern Michigan’s wintery weather just to catch a glimpse. Show But why exactly does this frozen water appear to be pale to teal blue?
According to George Leshkevich, a physical scientist emeritus at NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Center, there are three things that go into the formation of blue ice:
 The combination of the thick ice and lack of bubbles allows long wavelength colors to be absorbed more than normal. That means oranges, yellows, and reds are no longer visible, leaving only the short-wavelength visible colors to be reflected into our eyes. A combo of green, blue, and purple is reflected back. This creates the pale blue or teal color we see. This spectacular blue ice can be visible in any of the Great Lakes but is most common near the Straits of Mackinac, due to the purity and thick ice that typically forms in this area. ►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now. Have a news tip? Email , visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. John L. Russell Mackinaw City — Michigan's sudden cold snap this month and rapid icing of the Great Lakes has resulted in a particularly vivid winter phenomenon — blue ice. Hundreds of visitors are flocking to the shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron in and near the Straits of Mackinac to view huge piles of thick ice, which is crystal clear and features a deep blue tint. The ice has, within the past 10 days, thickened in the chilling air. High winds broke the ice up, shoving ashore a spectacular array of thick sheets onto one other. Mackinaw City Police Chief Todd Woods said there's an annual buildup of ice sheets this time of year, but the brightness of the blue this year is notable. “This is the best blue ice since 2018," Wood said. "We had some large plates of ice that year. It all depends on the flow of water that allows the ice to push up. A week ago we had open water. Then the arctic cold and winds came, and the ice came with it.” Ice cover on the Great Lakes was 6% in mid-January. A month later, it was rated Wednesday at 40%, according to the Great Lakes surface analysis from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Great Lakes Environmental Center. Lake Michigan was at about 35%, while Lake Huron was a little over 40% covered with ice, according to the center's charts. Bright blue ice occurs when the ice is "thick, compressed and has a lack of bubbles...," according to a release from the Great Lakes Environmental Research Center in Ann Arbor. The conditions "allow light to penetrate farther, thus absorbing more of the longer wavelengths (colors). This leaves shorter wavelength blue light to reflect back or pass through the ice, making the ice look blue." “It is spectacular,” said Toni Sadlowski of Roscommon, who, with her husband, Ben, and their St. Bernard, Thumper, visited the ice on Tuesday. “The ice took my breath away. We are so excited my sister is coming up this weekend from Warren to see the ice.” The ice has attracted plenty of media attention, and it has become a winter attraction for large crowds. Woods said that can create challenges. “We need to let folks know the ice can be dangerous,” Woods said. “It can change rapidly with the strong currents in the straits. Two years ago we had to rescue two people who fell into the lake. This ice has only been here a little over a week, so be careful and stay onshore.” John L. Russell is a writer and photojournalist from Williamsburg, Michigan. Is there blue ice in Mackinaw?But first, what is the Mackinaw Blue Ice? It doesn't occur every year, but some years, during special weeks, you can see the giant shards of light blue ice buildup on top of each other.
How often does blue ice happen in Mackinaw City?Blue ice at Mackinaw City is a very rare occurrence! It has been 7 years since the beautiful blue ice last made its appearance!
What makes blue ice in Michigan?PURE WATER
This is a huge kudos to Michigan's Great Lakes. Blue ice can only form where the water is very clean and pure. Contaminants in water will affect how light travels through the ice.
Does the water around Mackinac Island freeze?Usually in the month of February the water freezes between Mackinac Island and St. Ignace.
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Is there blue ice at Mackinac?
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