Ice pancakes: No maple syrup needed for these!

It may not be Pancake Day just yet, but we're already starting to see signs of them in other forms as winter kicks in!

While we're experiencing a plunge of arctic air across the UK and Ireland, it's no different for our friends across the pond in the US.

The season's first arctic blast has settled across the US this past week, bringing frigid temperatures to the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes are a series of deep freshwater lakes in eastern North America comprising Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario.

As the video above shows, the deep freeze has created special ice called "pancakes." These ones aren't for eating and no amount of maple syrup will help.

The icy phenomenon can also be found more locally in rivers and lakes across parts of Scotland and Northern England in the depths of winter.

Curious how cold it is there? Check out our TemperatureRadar.