Although the record-breaking cold snap we're facing has only been with us for a week, it already feels like an eternity. And with all the trouble it has caused for millions of Americans, it's easy to understand why.
According to the BBC, about 90 million people have had to cope with temperatures of zero degrees Fahrenheit or below, which is close to a third of the entire population.
Most tragically, the weather has also caused at least 21 deaths since the severe temperature drop. Most of these were from exposure, but icy, dangerous roads were also a factor.
While it looks as though the country will finally get warmer this weekend, these photos of a frozen Lake Michigan show just how harsh things have become in the meantime.