Throwback to Winter 2013-14 and 2014-15

Getting ready to complain about cold weather and snow? Stop.

One year ago, Grand Rapids crushed the record for snowiest calendar year through November 19, with 102.1 inches. The previous record was 82.2 inches, set in 1965.

Bundle up and take a look back at the record-setting winters of 2013-14 and 2014-15.

That's just the beginning of the winter records that have been set in West Michigan over the past couple of years.

Whatever this winter brings it's going to be hard to top what we've seen over the last couple of years. The extreme cold, snow, and ice are all frozen into our memory.

Our back-to-back hard winters started with the release of Frozen and the memorable "Snow Bowl" between the Detroit Lions and the Philadelphia Eagles. We had no idea what we were in for. I blame Olaf.

Thousands visited Lake Michigan to venture out onto the ice. There was even a human penguin.

That ice didn't want to leave. There was still measurable ice on the Great Lakes until May 24 last spring. In 2014, the ice lasted until June 5.

Who could forget the turn-boiling-water-into-snow videos. They were everywhere.

But that's not all you can make in the middle of winter. It won't be long before snow ice cream is on the menu again. Is it safe to eat? Probably.

Even the spider monkeys at John Ball Zoo were getting into the winter spirit.

Love it or hate it, when the snow does hit, remove it efficiently.