Winter storms helped create ice formations along the Lake Michigan shoreline in west Michigan this week.

Winter storms helped create ice formations along the Lake Michigan shoreline in west Michigan this week.

The average frequency of Lake Superior freezing over was historically about once every 20 years. It gets close (90%) more often. Undeniably, the trend is downward in average winter maximum ice cover.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore wants the public to know ice formations that build annually along the cliffs that highlight the park area taking shape with recent cold weather.

MUNISING, MI – In the summer, the natural sandstone formations along Lake Superior get all the hype from boaters and kayakers looking up at them from the water. In the winter, the reverse is true.

The mid-January Arctic blast brought frigid temperatures, helping to firm up a good quantity of ice on Lake Michigan.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Persistent below-freezing temperatures have kick-started the formation of ice on Lake Erie, which was nearly 13% covered as of Tuesday.

Earlier this month, Wisconsin's Lake Superior shoreline was hit with a lake-effect snow event, blanketing the area with a few feet of snow, and whipping up the ice balls.

The Lake Superior Ice Festival will be at Barker's Island from five to eight pm on Friday and Saturday. There will be a snow slide, an ice carousel, and other free activities.

A combination of strong winds and frigid temperatures created some unique sights at Bear Lake Thursday, and you won't have to battle any crowds to see them.

Unique patterns and ice shards could be seen under glass ice on remote Upper Peninsula lake over the weekend.

Lake Superior in particular, depends on being cold for it’s water quality and clarity. Algae blooms are becoming more common with warmer, longer summers and increasingly ice-free winters.