Extreme weather events are becoming more and more common, with records shattered down under during Australia's recent heatwave, and now, at the opposite end of the spectrum, the 'polar vortex' turning Midwestern U.S. into a winter wonderland.

The polar vortex is a band of strong winds, high up in the atmosphere that keeps bitterly cold winter season air locked around the Arctic region. Sometimes, like this year, it can drift further south than usual and envelop highly populated areas of North America. Chigaco has been particularly hard hit, with its notoriously windy location on Lake Michigan bringing freezing temperatures down to record-breaking lows.

With much of the Midwest on lockdown and people urged to stay indoors, some people have been braving the winter landscapes to take incredible images of the effects that the extremely cold weather is having on their daily lives. From exploding toilets to icy hairstyles, this list compiled by Bored Panda will give you chills just from looking at it!

#1

“Is Iowa Really That Cold?”

“Is Iowa Really That Cold?”

taylor_scallon Report

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    #2

    Current Level Of Snow In Madison: One Whole Mingo

    Current Level Of Snow In Madison: One Whole Mingo

    ForwardMSNFC Report

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    #3

    Pray For The Homeless During This Time! Give To Your Local Shelters. Most Are At Full Capacity

    Pray For The Homeless During This Time! Give To Your Local Shelters. Most Are At Full Capacity

    OMAROSA Report

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    #4

    Eye Lashes On Fleek! Is That A Thing? Is This The New Winter Running Fashion Statement?

    Eye Lashes On Fleek! Is That A Thing? Is This The New Winter Running Fashion Statement?

    mayrenaisamar Report

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    #5

    What Happens When You Blow Bubbles In A Freezing Weather

    What Happens When You Blow Bubbles In A Freezing Weather

    cbotnyse Report

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    #6

    Freezing Our Pants Off In Minnesota

    Freezing Our Pants Off In Minnesota

    gregswan Report

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    #7

    When These Are The Inside Doors... You Know We Are Polar Vortexing

    When These Are The Inside Doors... You Know We Are Polar Vortexing

    HeidiMiler Report

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    #8

    Landlord Decided To Turn Down The Heat Today In My MN Apartment As It Reached -40°

    Landlord Decided To Turn Down The Heat Today In My MN Apartment As It Reached -40°

    The idiot must have forgotten he pays my electric and doesn't realize that I value my comfort over safety or energy conservation.

    JohannReddit Report

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    #9

    Going To Daycare When It's -30 Outside

    Going To Daycare When It's -30 Outside

    Stweets19 Report

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    #10

    Frozen Chicken Eggs

    Frozen Chicken Eggs

    afrwvus Report

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    #11

    Got So Cold Last Night That Our Vodka Froze! For Reference The Freezing Point For Vodka Is -16

    Got So Cold Last Night That Our Vodka Froze! For Reference The Freezing Point For Vodka Is -16

    KKrilanovichCRE Report

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    #12

    How Cold Is It In The Midwest? Bubbles Are Freezing

    How Cold Is It In The Midwest? Bubbles Are Freezing

    BiologistDan Report

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    #13

    My Brother Was On One Of The Few Flights Into Chicago This Morning. He Took This Photo Of Frozen Lake Michigan From The Plane

    My Brother Was On One Of The Few Flights Into Chicago This Morning. He Took This Photo Of Frozen Lake Michigan From The Plane

    DavidPFunk Report

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    #14

    After Two Days Of Freezing Rain, This Mold Came Out

    After Two Days Of Freezing Rain, This Mold Came Out

    sprgsmnt Report

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    #15

    Meanwhile In Minnesota. The Tank Exploded

    Meanwhile In Minnesota. The Tank Exploded

    David Hildebrand Report

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    #16

    My Sister Opened Her Car Door In Chicago

    My Sister Opened Her Car Door In Chicago

    Reddit.com Report

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    #17

    A Firefighter After Working In The -40° Polar Vortex

    A Firefighter After Working In The -40° Polar Vortex

    crowntownfrown Report

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    #18

    My God. We've Reached The Day After Tomorrow

    My God. We've Reached The Day After Tomorrow

    Jacopo_della_Q Report

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    #19

    Trying To Make The Most Of This -40 F Weather

    Trying To Make The Most Of This -40 F Weather

    Mapes Report

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    #20

    Lunch In Chicago Today. I Like Mine Al Dente

    Lunch In Chicago Today. I Like Mine Al Dente

    supercatpuke Report

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    #21

    It's So Cold In Chicago They Set Commuter Train Tracks On Fire To Warm Them

    It's So Cold In Chicago They Set Commuter Train Tracks On Fire To Warm Them

    metrarail Report

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    #22

    It's So Cold In Iowa That We Froze Antifreeze

    It's So Cold In Iowa That We Froze Antifreeze

    Stonedspidey Report

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    #23

    Meanwhile In Wisconsin

    Meanwhile In Wisconsin

    atlastifoundit Report

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    #24

    Cadillac Michigan The Light Poles Are Shivering. Science Mannn

    Cadillac Michigan The Light Poles Are Shivering. Science Mannn

    GordonsWord Report

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    #25

    You Know It's Cold When The Toilet Paper Is Frozen In The Outhouse

    You Know It's Cold When The Toilet Paper Is Frozen In The Outhouse

    Linda Mooney Report

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    #26

    The Detroit River, Frozen All The Way To Canada

    The Detroit River, Frozen All The Way To Canada

    Jay_Z_123 Report

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    #27

    We Had A House Fire South Of Cameron Today. Our Chief Mitch Hansen Thought It Was A Splash Park

    We Had A House Fire South Of Cameron Today. Our Chief Mitch Hansen Thought It Was A Splash Park

    Bimbo Gifford Report

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    #28

    Minnesota's Officers

    Minnesota's Officers

    chisagocountyso Report

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    #29

    Letting My Car Heat Up During The Polar Vortex

    Letting My Car Heat Up During The Polar Vortex

    ahhbeeli Report

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    #30

    House Is Freezing From The Inside During The Coldest Day In A Decade

    House Is Freezing From The Inside During The Coldest Day In A Decade

    Nayb3n Report

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    #31

    The Beauty The Cold Brings To South Dakota

    The Beauty The Cold Brings To South Dakota

    chinho321 Report

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    #32

    This Flash-Frozen Fire Hydrant

    This Flash-Frozen Fire Hydrant

    kasprzee Report

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    #33

    This Door At Work In Minnesota

    This Door At Work In Minnesota

    rmcvey4051 Report

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    #34

    A Sheet Of Ice Formed Between The Glass Panes Of This Door

    A Sheet Of Ice Formed Between The Glass Panes Of This Door

    sadpinata Report

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    #35

    Polar Vortex Lesson: Don’t Try To Hang Dry Your Clothes Outside

    Polar Vortex Lesson: Don’t Try To Hang Dry Your Clothes Outside

    eharrisment Report

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    #36

    Polar Vortex (Temp. 16 F /-9 C)

    Polar Vortex (Temp. 16 F /-9 C)

    ahuewnyc Report

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    #37

    My Parents Sent Me This Pic Of Our Peephole (From The Indoor Side)

    My Parents Sent Me This Pic Of Our Peephole (From The Indoor Side)

    imayoras Report

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    #38

    My Neighbor’s Furnace Exhaust Is Creating An Interesting Icicle

    My Neighbor’s Furnace Exhaust Is Creating An Interesting Icicle

    nonnahinnor Report

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    #39

    One Cold Rowdy Dog On The Bulkhead. Still Looking For Leftover Canteen Snacks

    One Cold Rowdy Dog On The Bulkhead. Still Looking For Leftover Canteen Snacks

    gorgonzolabee Report

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    #40

    I Just Wanted To See How Long It Would Take For An Egg To Freeze Outside And Also What Would Become Of My Egg

    I Just Wanted To See How Long It Would Take For An Egg To Freeze Outside And Also What Would Become Of My Egg

    Lauren Yapalater Report

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    #41

    Cold Spell

    Cold Spell

    Yes, that is ice on the inside of our house. It's not the first time that ice has formed around our door. We've talked to our landlord and hope to get a new door and door frame in spring when we don't have to worry about getting frostbite about people outside for five minutes. It would really help with our utility bill as well.

    ferrari1996 Report

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    #42

    It Was So Cold In Chicago That The Paint Came Off My Car

    It Was So Cold In Chicago That The Paint Came Off My Car

    imgur.com Report

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    #43

    "No, Believe Me, 'Tis Very Cold; The Wind Is Northerly"

    "No, Believe Me, 'Tis Very Cold; The Wind Is Northerly"

    ShakesPic Report

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    #44

    Ice Is Freezing As Soon As It Comes Out Of Our Faucet Because It's So Cold

    Ice Is Freezing As Soon As It Comes Out Of Our Faucet Because It's So Cold

    mak_savi Report

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    #45

    This Is My Buddy Jesse At The Arrowhead 135 In Mn Yesterday. Day Time Temp Was -26 °F

    This Is My Buddy Jesse At The Arrowhead 135 In Mn Yesterday. Day Time Temp Was -26 °F

    hivehivebuzzbuzz Report

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    #46

    In A Matter Of 2 Minutes Walking Across Campus, My Glasses Started To Frost/Ice Over

    In A Matter Of 2 Minutes Walking Across Campus, My Glasses Started To Frost/Ice Over

    Everyone’s been talking about how cold Chicago is right now. The upper Midwest (I’m talking Fargo area) had windchills up to -60 below zero, ten degrees colder than Chicago. In a matter of 2 minutes walking across campus, my glasses started to frost/ice over.

    kmbell333 Report

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    #47

    My Wall Is Freezing In My Bedroom. There Are No Pipes Behind It. Chicago

    My Wall Is Freezing In My Bedroom. There Are No Pipes Behind It. Chicago

    creampuffyness Report

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    #48

    So My Soap Is Frozen In My Shower

    So My Soap Is Frozen In My Shower

    wowmartiean Report

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    #49

    It's So Cold Here In Iowa That There Is Now Frost On The Inside Of My Door Hinges

    It's So Cold Here In Iowa That There Is Now Frost On The Inside Of My Door Hinges

    TheMadCatterFTW Report

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    #50

    My Beard Froze While Waiting Bus. I Wish It Would Be Summer Already

    My Beard Froze While Waiting Bus. I Wish It Would Be Summer Already

    Volus_dude Report

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