After many weeks of already unseasonably mild weather, northeast Kansas experienced record-breaking high temperatures over the weekend of Jan. 26 and 27. This did little to prepare the region for what has been described as the winter ice storm of the last 120 years.

Though not hit as hard as the Kansas City area to the east, which peaked at 285,000 KCPL customers without electricity, Lawrence received its own severe glazing of ice. The inclement weather began on the afternoon of Tuesday, Jan. 29. By the time the sun came up on the morning of Friday, Feb. 1, trees, fences and street lights were encased in a thick, shimmering glaze of sparkling ice.

This Panorama was photographed on the dock extending out onto the small reservoir near the Kurata Thermodynamics Laboratory on Kansas University’s West Campus. On Wednesday afternoon, when this was taken, streets and walkways were reserved for only the most essential forays. Sleet and freezing rain had been falling for 24 hours and conditions were miserable.

Thursday would see sledders out in force during the second day of citywide school closings. Wednesday, however, was bleak, and one hopes, the worst weather day of the winter.