Last updated: 14.01.2024, 05:00 a.m.
By: Romina Kunze, Martina Lippl
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An unusually cold, dry winter turns Alaska's Rabbit Lake into a transparent window of ice. Videos capture the spectacular sight.
Syke / Juneau – Winter is back in Germany. After the rainy and disappointing Christmas season, Germany is now expecting a small ice age with sub-zero temperatures. Even snow in the lowlands is possible, at least if you believe the farmer's rule.
For all those who are already looking longingly towards spring, this should be like a slap in the face from Peter. Especially since experience shows that snow rarely comes without traffic chaos. However, a look across the pond proves that winter can also produce absolutely fascinating scenarios: In the US state of Alaska, an exceptionally cold winter reveals a special sight.
A remarkable winter wonder: the lake freezes into pure "glass" – the view reaches to the bottom
Due to the freezing but unusual cold, the "Rabbit Lake" in Alaska (USA) has completely frozen over and become a kind of "ice window" down to the bottom of the lake. The turquoise green depths, lined with rock formations, edges and fractures, are visible through the crystal clear ice. Every winter, the surface of the lake freezes, but this year presents a completely new perspective. Pictures and videos of this phenomenon circulating on the net are impressive.
"Ice window" in "Rabbit Lake": The lake in Alaska is frozen crystal clear. © Screenshot/Instagram/Luc Mehl
Luc Mehl, an outdoor expert and ice rescue trainer, shares his experience of the "Ice Window into the Underworld is very special" on Instagram. Together with his wife and friends, he ventures onto the ice and skates. If you watch the videos, you might feel like you're floating above the water, similar to an aquarium.
This "ice window" is a rare event, explains the expert, adding with regard to his "ice dance": "Alaskan-style snorkel". The ice was about ten centimeters thick – safe enough for a game of skating, as Mehl assured.
Rare natural spectacle lasted only a short time – pictures last for eternity
Although the videos were recorded back in October, they have lost none of their fascination. In the meantime, however, the natural spectacle is already over. The temperatures in the region around Anchorage, in southern Alaska, where Rabbit Lake is located, are still icy. But after just a few days, the ice magic at the lake was over. According to Luc, the ice was only this clear for a short time.
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"We may see something like this again in a decade."
Outdoor expert Luc Mehl on the ice phenomenon in Rabbit Lake.
The comments on the pictures are full of admiration. "This is so amazing. The ice, so clear", "Beautiful" and "Great video." "This is absolutely breathtaking," are just some of the reactions. Many are grateful to Luc for sharing these magical moments. "We may see something like this again in a decade," he said in an interview with the BBC. Luc, who says he was born and raised in Alaska, visits the lake regularly.
In Germany, one can probably only hope for such a winter landscape. In any case, it was still too warm for ice bathing in the Baltic Sea after the mild December. However, this may soon change with the current cold front.
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model to optimize at her own discretion. All information has been carefully verified. Learn more about our AI principles here.