Chicago, Ch-Illinois: The windy city gets hit by the coldest weather in years

The polar vortex hitting the States has made things very cold, very cold indeed

These are chilling images, quite literally, of the polar vortex that has caused temperatures in the United States of America to absolutely plummet. The effects can be seen in many of the major cities, in particular in the north east, and Chicago is no exception, as some of these brilliant shots show. Temperatures as low as -50°F (-45°C) have been recorded in Minnesota according to Mashable, and parts of Lake Michigan have frozen over as a result. It's obviously not pleasant, but it makes for one hell of a photo, as evidenced above where the frozen water seems to mimic the Chicago skyline in the background. Amazing pictures aside, we're fairly sure the residents of Chicago would prefer if it were just a little bit warmer.