![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Arctic-Freeze_Boiling-Water-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nBut it does make for a pretty photo.<\/p>\n
JOHNNY CARSON: <\/em>It was really cold this week.<\/p>\n AUDIENCE:<\/em> How cold was it?<\/p>\n Cold enough to actually make light poles shiver!<\/p>\n We\u2019ve all seen lots of pictures featuring the record-breaking weather, so I want to focus on some of the unique phenomena peculiar to Chicago.\u00a0 But first, an aerial overview of the city showing Lake Michigan frozen along the shoreline.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n WHY ARE THEY BURNING THE TRAIN TRACKS?<\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Probably the most surprising thing that was covered was the \u201cburning\u201d of the train track \u2013 both Amtrak and Metra.\u00a0 But actually this is standard practice when the weather drops below freezing.<\/p>\n As one could imagine, brutal cold weather can wreak havoc on the rails with snow and ice clogging the track switchings that are vital to keep the trains running.\u00a0 The tracks aren\u2019t actually set on fire, as Chicago actually uses a gas-fed system adjacent to the rails to generate heat at its A-2 interlockings \u2013 the busiest intersections for switching tracks.\u00a0 Similar to the gas logs you might have in your fireplace.<\/p>\n And fire is also employed to repair \u201cpull-aparts\u201d where the temperature is so cold that it causes the metal to shrink causing the rails to pull apart.\u00a0 In those straight-away locations that are not equipped with gas (or electric) heating they use a rope soaked in kerosene.<\/p>\n The four guys in the orange vest in the slideshow above are working on a pull-apart.\u00a0 You can tell from the black smoke created by the kerosene.<\/p>\n Not to worry \u2013 it\u2019s perfectly safe.\u00a0 Not only does at least one staff person stay on hand to monitor the flames, but the diesel fuel trains use combusts only with pressure and heat, not open flames.<\/p>\n The gas-powered heaters are a little old-fashioned and are only used at\u00a0A-2 intersections \u2013 the busiest interlocking sites.\u00a0 That\u2019s because the density of the rails makes it difficult to employ more modern technology.\u00a0 At other locations, electric-powered heating elements and electric-powered hot air blowers are used.<\/p>\n WHAT THE FOG?!?<\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cSmoke On The Water\u201d<\/em> \u2026 it’s not just the title of a Deep Purple song.<\/p>\n When a very cold air mass moves off the land and blows over the warmer water it creates what\u2019s called \u201cSea Smoke\u201d<\/em> or \u201cSea Fog\u201d<\/em>.\u00a0 This happens even if Lake Michigan is iced over \u2013 that\u2019s because the Polar Vortex produced temperatures that were significantly colder than the ice.<\/p>\n For about the first 25-seconds of this Twitter video you can get a sense of how cold it must be to create the vastness of Sea Fog\/Smoke like this.<\/p>\n WATCH: Steam rises off Lake Michigan with outside temperatures in Chicago near -20 degrees. https:\/\/t.co\/cHqXyCDbBj<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/bkBIgadK3s<\/a><\/p>\n — NBC News (@NBCNews) January 31, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n