The frigid conditions, after temperatures dropped 13 degrees below zero on Monday, have created breathtaking sights of an icy wonderland. The cascades of ice sheets, mist and snow are generating viral videos and photos, as people flock to the popular tourist destination following reports in the media about the majestic sights to be seen.
“The attention the Falls is receiving is bringing a crowd to view them in their majestic, winter splendor!” Michelle Blackley, communications manager for the Falls, told USA Today.
However, it is not unusual for the Niagara Falls to become frozen. The waterfall freezes at least partially every year when temperatures fall below zero. In March last year, after a bout of late winter low temperatures, photos and videos of icy waterfalls went viral online, with widespread misunderstanding, generated by photos showing parts of the Canadian side of the Falls, that the entire waterfall was frozen over.
The build-up of ice this year is more extensive than in previous years.
Beautiful images of the frozen Niagara Falls come after a Canadian ice climber, Will Gadd, scaled the frozen ice of the Horseshoe Falls, the part of the Niagara Falls on the Canadian side.
Using ice hooks, the Canadian ice climber scaled the 147-foot frozen cliffs at Terrapin Point near the Horseshoe Falls.
Although, many ice climbers have attempted to scale the Niagara Falls on both sides — the American Falls and the Horseshoe Falls, also known as the Canadian Falls — Gadd was the first person to achieve the feat.
“I’ve traveled the world in search of the most challenging climbs, but Niagara Falls, one of my home country’s most iconic landmarks, has been a lifelong mission that I previously never thought possible,” he said after completing the historic climb.
He added: “It was very real on that wall. There’s a lot going on. The ice thickness varies from one inch to 10 feet, so every swing and grab is different. There’s a lot to account for, all this with the world’s most powerful waterfall flowing over my shoulder.”
