Laurie says:

These images from The Atlantic blog In Focus are stunning and very timely.

The first week of 2014 has brought frigid conditions to much of the Northern Hemisphere, including a phenomenon called a polar vortex, which pulled Arctic weather deep into Canada and the U.S. In Harbin, China, the chilly temperatures have one advantage: They come at a perfect time for the annual Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival. Collected here are recent images of the frozen north.

These remarkable images were all shot by photo journalists.

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A mailbox and bench are covered with ice near a building which caught on fire, and was doused by firefighters in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, on January 3, 2014. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

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A woman rides an ice slide on a large snow sculpture in Harbin, on January 4, 2014. (Reuters/Kim Kyung-Hoon)

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Ice encrusted pine cones are seen in Earl Bales Park following an ice storm in Toronto, on December 23, 2013. (Reuters/Gary Hershorn)

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A winter storm slammed into the U.S. Northeast with howling winds and frigid cold, dumping nearly 2 feet (60 centimeters) of snow in some parts and whipping up blizzard-like conditions. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

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A woman poses for a picture in front of a large snow sculpture ahead of the Harbin Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival on January 4, 2014. (Reuters/Kim Kyung-Hoon)

Frozen times – beautiful images.