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Polar Vortex Stunts Warm Social Media

From freezing bubbles to throwing boiling water in the air, people are making the most out of the cold.

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Scott Olson/Getty

By Evan Siegel

To state the obvious: It’s cold!

Much of the American Midwest on Wednesday was swept up in a polar vortex that brought with it record-breaking lows and has already been linked to at least seven deaths. Temperatures in Chicago, for example, reached minus 23 degrees with a windchill of minus 50, according to the New York Times, and gave rise to the hashtag “Chiberia” on social media.

It’s so cold that Donald Trump on Monday begged for global warming’s return, despite the fact that it hasn’t gone anywhere and most likely caused this mess to begin with; so cold that rail workers in Chicago are reportedly lighting train tracks on fire to keep them functioning; so cold that the National Weather Service is cautioning people for the good of their lungs to avoid taking “deep breaths” outside.

It’s so cold that… people are also running outside to throw boiling water in the air. Yes, temperatures have gotten low enough that boiling water almost immediately turns to snow when exposed to the wind, and Midwesterners are braving the outdoors to try it for themselves:

Minnesota Twitter user @stalefarts brought his own spin to the game with a water gun:

Others have taken to freezing bubbles:

Or at least tried:

And, as is typical of the internet, others have hurt themselves!

To state the obvious again: Don’t throw boiling water into the wind!

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Evan Siegel
Evan SiegelSocial Media Producer

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