The U.S. Coast Guard is actively conducting icebreaking operations around the Northern Tier of the U.S. to help vessels maneuver through the frozen, icy waters caused by the prolonged extreme cold and powerful winter storms.
Video captures U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Hawser cutting large ice blocks across the Sector of New York on Saturday to help maintain safe and navigable waterways.
SEE IT: COAST GUARD CUTTER FREES NYPD VESSEL FROM ICEBOUND HUDSON RIVER
“Winter brings freezing temperatures and ice formation on New York waterways, which can adversely impact safe navigation, winter fuel deliveries and public transportation,” Captain Jonathan Andrechik, commander of Coast Guard Sector New York, said. “Our crews are working around the clock to keep waterways as safe and navigable as possible while coordinating closely with our partners.”
Cutter Hawser started cutting ice on New York’s waterway amid the historic winter storm that swept through the region.
A person skis down the street in Midtown Manhattan as a major snow storm sweeps across the eastern United States, delivering an estimated two feet of snow, on January 25, 2026 in New York City.Â
(Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)
A dome of arctic air associated with a displaced Polar Vortex brought days of freezing cold and life-threatening temperatures to much of the country. The bone-chilling temperature impacted the Northern Plains, Upper Midwest, Northeast, Southern Plains and Southeast.
HISTORIC WINTER STORM KILLS OVER 80, IMPACTS MILLIONS ACROSS MORE THAN 40 STATES
More than 220 million people across the U.S. experienced below-average temperatures that caused heavy ice and snow.Â
These conditions led to many waterways in the Northeast and the Midwest becoming completely frozen and requiring teams of ice cutters to clear a path.
MAKE WAY 🧊🚢: U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw is seen assisting a 650-foot vessel, the Algoma Intrepid, near Beaver Island on Lake Michigan. The ice cutter made sever high-speed passes to break up the frozen water and open up the waterway for the vessel to continue its trip.
These efforts were spotted off the coast of Beaver Island, MI, on Jan. 25 in Lake Michigan when the Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw (WLBB 30)Â assisted a 650-foot motor vessel, Algoma Intrepid.
Mackinaw, the icecutting ship, broke up the ice that surrounded the vessel and opened a navigable channel in order for the boat to continue its transit.
Icebreaking operations continued for members of the U.S. Coast Guard to help ensure safe travel for other vessels traveling through Lake Erie. The USGS cutter Bristol Bay worked hard supporting the Great Lakes District domestic operations.
This video shows icebreaking operations being performed by the Coast Guard Cutter Bristol on Lake Erie near Cleveland, OH, on Jan. 28.
The Bristol Bay’s icebreaking team worked with Great Lakes District domestic operations to establish a route to ensure the continuous movement of commerce and delivery of essential goods.
The removal of ice in the Great Lakes is a yearly task that the U.S. Coast Guard executes to help keep ice from hindering commercial vessel traffic.
SEE IT 👀: The U.S. Coast Guard Cutters plow through large chunks of ice in the Hudson River alongside New York City, where officials are ensuring safe travels for other vessels navigating the waters on Thursday.
According to the Great Lakes Commission, the ice formation for the 2025 to 2026 winter is trending above average for the region.
