Niagara Falls attracts millions of travellers each year to see the beauty of the thundering waterfalls. But as a deep freeze settles in, only some very brave visitors are heading to see the falls, which currently appear almost frozen.
A person takes a selfie beside on the US side of Niagara Falls as seen from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. Image by LARS HAGBERG/AFP/Getty Images
While the recent cold snap has been devastating and deadly in parts of the US, the falls, which straddle the US-Canada border, have still seen tourists taking the chance to see them in their wintry beauty. The icicle-covered falls appear to be almost frozen, with steam rising up from the water in the cold air.
A tourists take pictures of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Image by LARS HAGBERG/AFP/Getty Images
According to Niagara Falls Tourism, the Horseshoe Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and American Falls that make up Niagara Falls are currently all surrounded by ice and snow. Even though it is freezing outside, the falls do not actually freeze over totally, but rather become surrounded in icicles and snow, with the water surging underneath. This year, the extreme cold has led an ice bridge to form as it does in extraordinarily cold winters. This happens when ice piles up at the bottom of the falls, making a dense bridge of ice, but it is illegal for visitors to walk out on.
The frozen American Falls are illuminated in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada on January 30, 2019. Image by LARS HAGBERG/AFP/Getty Images
Despite the chill outside, some travellers have been venturing out. But anyone with plans to visit should be careful – Environment Canada released an extreme cold warning on Friday, as temperatures near -30 C (-22F) with the wind-chill, meaning that people are at risk of frostbite.
The post Niagara Falls looks frozen in ice as cold snap hits the US and Canada appeared first on Lonely Planet Travel News.