The seventh wonder of the world has frozen over as a blistering Arctic blizzard batters the US.
Niagara Falls, which usually features among the world's most stunning sites, has become a winter wasteland thanks to the worst weather disaster in a lifetime to hit the United States this Christmas.
A series of stunning photos show ice sheets and frozen mist rising from the iconic tourist destination, which lies between the borders of Ontario, Canada and New York State.
It froze over the weekend as ferocious temperatures and icy winds blasted Buffalo in New York, which lies around 25 miles south of the waterfall.
Though some areas of the enormous natural beauty iced up, it never freezes completely because of the mass of water rushing through the system.
The constant movement of the 3,160 tons of liquid racing through Niagara Falls prevents water from settling enough to freeze. It falls at a speed of around 32 feet per second, according to Niagara tourism officials.
The side of the falls that is in the US has reached freezing point just five times in history.
Previously, an ice block in the river effectively created a dam and reduced the volume of water.
As a result, materials were installed in 1964 to prevent large pile-ups of ice in the river.
The frozen appearance seen in pictures is actually caused by the freezing surface water and an icy mist.
The mist coats observation decks and creates collections of ice that gather at the bottom of the falls.
When it's cold, ice and snow create an "ice bridge" over an area at the base of the river.
Up until 1912, tourists could use the bridge to get a unique view of the falls from below.
Locals even created pop-up shops along the ice bridge, where they sold souvenirs and even whiskey.
Walking on the bridge was banned in 1912 after a slab of ice broke loose and three people fell in and died.
But it can still be seen most winters due to the colder climate in Canada.
