The hoodoos of Lake Michigan

Desert-like formations were seen along the windswept shores of Lake Michigan Friday. These tiny stand spires only lasted a few hours until they crumbed and form only with certain weather conditions. 

The photos were taken Friday morning by Joshua Nowicki. The are carved by strong wind out of frozen sand. The wet, then frozen sand makes a temporary sandstone that can be carved out by the strong wind. Gusts along the lake shore topped 40 mph Thursday night into Friday morning. As the temperatures rose above freezing they crumbled. 

These hoodoos may seem strange in the Midwest but they are more common in the desert southwest. Bryce Canyon National Park is famous for these geological wonders. The main difference is they were formed from many thousands of years versus the few hours at the beach.