American Falls as seen from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, February 19, 2015 (© ZUMA/REX)
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The arctic blast that’s kept much of the northeastern United States buried under snow and ice this winter has caused its share of troubles, but it’s also prompted some incredible natural scenery, such as this view of Niagara Falls partially frozen.
It’s not unusual for portions of Niagara’s American Falls to freeze during the cold winters here at the border between New York and Ontario. In 1909, 1936, 1939, and 1949, the American Falls froze over almost completely, with the running water reduced to a trickle. But it was the March 29, 1848 ice jam on Lake Erie that brought all three of Niagara’s falls (American Falls, Horseshoe Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls) to a strange, silent stop.
Niagara’s winter conditions became more newsworthy this year when two ice climbers used the opportunity to set world records: On January 27, Will Gadd and Sarah Hueniken became the first man and woman to climb the frozen falls. They scaled a wall of ice on the left side of Horseshoe Falls, the largest of Niagara’s three falls.
