Because it really is that cold

Rebecca Cook / Reuters A Michigan road sign points the way for motorists to Hell, Michigan June 6, 2006.

In news certain to have scorned suitors everywhere dousing themselves in cologne, Hell has officially frozen over — the tiny hamlet in Michigan, that is.

Around 600 nearby residents have been blighted by deep snow caused by the polar vortex now affecting the U.S. Temperatures have plummeted to -20C, even dropping to -33C when taking wind-chill into account, with many vehicles left stranded.

Several cities in the northern U.S. have been rendered virtually uninhabitable by the current extreme cold spell. Residents have been urged to stock up on supplies and stay in their homes.

The town of Hell is situated 60 miles west of Detroit, and received its chthonic moniker on Oct. 13, 1841. Derek Wallbank, U.S. House reporter for Bloomberg News, tweeted news of its incongruous weather on Tuesday.