Photos: Niagara Falls transforms into majestic winter wonderland following Arctic blast
It's that time of year when the Niagara Falls transform into a majestic winter wonderland.
The frigid conditions in recent weeks have covered the iconic site with snow and ice. Despite the freezing weather, many tourists have visited and have snapped breathtaking photos of the winter display.
The Niagara Falls State Park promotes tourism in the winter deeming the majestic wonder to be "more magical."
Brutally cold conditions have led to ice forming around Niagara Falls. While the falls are incredible by themselves, the ice enhances the scene, giving tourists a special treat.
The Niagara Falls area is above freezing Wednesday morning and is forecast to stay above freezing into the early night, with a high in the low 40s today, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Bill Deger.
Therefore, additional freezing of portions of the Falls may be delayed due to this warmup.
"Prior to this morning, however, [Niagara Falls] has been freezing or below since last Wednesday, when the high was 33 F," Deger said.
Temperatures will decrease again Friday and into next week, with highs in the 20s or lower.
The average high temperature for mid- to late January at Niagara Falls is about 32 F, and the average low is 15 F.
"The majority of the time over the last few days have been spent below average, capped off by a high temperature of 8 F on Monday, Jan. 21," Deger said. "Overnight lows have been below zero for three consecutive days. This is what is leading to some ice to form on the Falls."
There are many urban legends that the falls freeze solid in the winter, according to tourist officials.
However, the only time that Niagara Falls froze over entirely was in 1848, when an ice jam above the falls slowed water to a trickle and allowed it to freeze.
"The falls have more frequently iced over significantly but still allowed a flow of plenty of water many times in history during colder winters and is not overly rare," AccuWeather Meteorologist Evan Duffey said in December 2017.
It is not abnormal for Niagara Falls to turn into an icy landscape in freezing temperatures. These conditions typically exist in late January and into February. However, Niagara Falls froze in December 2017 due to below-normal temperatures.
Winter storms create a unique set of challenges in the Northeast compared to other areas of the country. Great minds often come together to face the challenge. AccuWeather Meteorologist Dave Dombeck joins WABC New York's Chief Meteorologist, Lee Goldberg to talk about their years of collaboration taking on the big storms.
Report a Typo
