If you missed our cover story last week about the U.S. Coast Guard's ice breaking operations on the Great Lakes, or if you've been hibernating for the past few months, you might not know that this winter is one of the coldest on record. Burrrrrrrr. The Great Lakes — 1/5 of the world's freshwater supply, by the way — were 88 percent covered in ice at one point this month. Lake Erie reached an unbelievable 96 percent coverage.
Above, you can watch a time-lapse video of the lakes freezing over under furious cloud cover. We recommend doing so with a cup of hot chocolate.