Windblown ice threads in Lake Michigan Winds blowing up from the south west are carrying strings of shoreline hugging ice and snow from Washington Island near the lake's western shore. The ice grows near land because it cools faster than the water due to its lower specific heat capacity, allowing the ice to form there first. Two islands by the top left remain uncollared by ice rings, as the lake water around it remains too warm (relatively speaking, I wouldn't be rushing in for a swim just yet) for ice to form. The gridwork on the island are snow bound fields, resting until the spring arrives. The stings vary in thickness depending on the length of coast that feeds them. We shared earlier this year a photo of ice balls in a cove on the same lake at http://tinyurl.com/n6kl3kv. Loz Image credit: NASA