But one photographer chose to brave the frigid weather for hours on end - to capture these stunning photos of St Joseph Lighthouse in Michigan.

Donning sturdy boots and warm clothing, Joshua Nowicki trekked along the icy shore of Lake Michigan on Thursday morning, armed with a camera.

He then captured a breathtaking array of photos of the frozen 30ft lighthouse and its pier, both of which were completely blanketed in white icicles.

He later uploaded the images to his Facebook page, alongside pictures of circular formations of ice  - what he dubbed 'ice pancakes' - on the shore.

'Ice-covered lighthouse and 'ice pancakes' in St Joseph, Michigan,' wrote Mr Nowicki of his photographs, which were taken during a blizzard.

It is believed the disc-shaped pieces of ice may have been created by stormy waves tumbling and pummeling ice crystals into 'pancake' formations.

Mr Nowicki's images - some taken two days earlier - were met with a positive response from Facebook users, with many deeming them 'stunning'.

Marge Hess Yetzke wrote: 'That is so unique. It looks like a frozen outer space scene', while Kathy Searles said: 'The wonder of nature is amazing!'

And David Howton joked: 'Wow, almost too cold to be out taking photographs I bet!'

It comes as a deadly arctic blast is continuing to wreak havoc across the US, with lake-effect snow expected to dump up to five feet of snow on parts of New York state this weekend. Meanwhile, below-freezing temperatures and wind chills are set to continue to affect a large stretch of the country.

This morning, residents from Northeastern Montana to Northwestern New York were given a windchill advisory by the National Weather Service.

In such frigid conditions, frostbite could set in with just 15 minutes' exposure to the air, the Weather Service said, advising people to keep pets indoors.

And over the next 48 hours, temperatures could fall 15 to 25 degrees below average in states surrounding the Great Lakes, NBC reported. 

At around 7am today, a low of minus 23 degrees was recorded in Manitowish, Wisconsin.

Meanwhile, in Northeast New York, residents are preparing to deal with between one to five feet of snow. 'Heavy lake-effect snow will shift back to the north into the Buffalo South Towns and perhaps into the city for a time Saturday night,' said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams.

(dailymail.co.uk)