It’s so cold out, a dog froze, sharks died and road salt is useless

Ashley May | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption 2017's year-end arctic blast has turned deadly 2017's year-end arctic blast has turned deadly. Both a man and a dog have frozen to death in Ohio.

Even though this year is on track to be one of the hottest ever recorded, this week has been frigid. An arctic blast brought record-low temperatures, freezing rain and piles of snow.

The chill is uncomfortable, but also deadly.

A man froze to death at a bus stop

Police found Kenneth Martin, 55, dead the morning after Christmas at a bus stop in Cincinnati, Ohio. An advocacy organization that worked with Martin says the cold weather is to blame for his death. The local coroner’s office confirmed Martin's death but the cause remains unknown pending an autopsy.

"Ken Martin was humble, honest, compassionate and very loving to his fellow man," nonprofit Maslow's Army said on Facebook. "He will be missed dearly!!"

A dog froze 'solid' on porch

A dog was found “frozen solid” on a porch in Toledo, Ohio on Thursday, The Blade reports.

It’s unknown when the dog died.

“This is a grim reminder of how important it is to protect your pets from these dangerous temperatures,” the society said on Facebook.

The Toledo Area Humane Society is pursuing animal cruelty charges against the owner. A second dog was found inside the home and the Humane Society said it is doing well at the shelter.

More: How to keep your dog or cat safe in cold weather

Sharks went into 'cold shock' and died

Two sharks were found stranded off of the Massachusetts coast Wednesday. The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy said they likely died because of "cold shock." The group collected organs and tissue samples for examination, "once they thaw."

More than 60 inches of snow dumped on Erie

From the night of Christmas Eve to the morning of Dec. 26, Erie, Pennsylvania, saw more than 60 inches of snow. Local authorities declared a state of emergency. The snowfall shattered the previous Christmas record and exceeded the city's all-time record that has stood for more than 60 years.

More: Stunning satellite image shows lake effect snow over Great Lakes

It was negative 36 degrees

International Falls, Minnesota, had some of the coldest weather this week, hitting negative 36 degrees.

Road salt is useless

The Indiana Department of Transportation recently reminded travelers that salt is only “somewhat effective” at temperatures between 10 and 15 degrees, and least effective below 10 degrees.

Brrrrrr it’s another cold one — and that means salt has to work a lot harder to do its job when this cold. So, expect some slick spots — 85 #YellowTrucks out can only do so much. Slow down out there and be on look out for icy patches. Oh, and did we say slow down? #INDOTWinterOps pic.twitter.com/mrfcWcNhuh — INDOT Northeast (@INDOTNortheast) December 29, 2017

This dog is wearing a scarf

Heather O’Neill, a Canadian author, said it’s been so cold inside of her apartment, she’s been wearing a scarf. Her dog wanted in on the action. “So, I took it off and wrapped it around her,” O’Neill said on Twitter.

I was wearing my scarf in the apartment because it's so cold. My dog kept tugging on it, so I took it off and wrapped it around her. Now she's happy. pic.twitter.com/LNHGxsifWh — Heather O'Neill (@lethal_heroine) December 29, 2017

This man is making beautiful ice bubbles

While everyone else is tossing boiling water in the air to make snow, a Canadian man is inspiring people to freeze bubbles. Chris Ratzlaff of Alberta mixes warm water, corn syrup, dish soap and sugar for this magical creation. He's posted videos of the bubbles turning into a beautiful crystal ball on Twitter.

More freezing of bubbles. Now, better lighting and corn syrup has been added to my mixture of dish soap and salt (had to wait for Sobeys to open 😉)@PrairieChasers @PhotoEdCANADA pic.twitter.com/batEJwiXWW — Chris Ratzlaff (@ratzlaff) December 26, 2017