Niagara Falls frozen

Extreme cold has turned Niagara Falls into an icy winter wonderland

Parts of Niagara Falls are starting to freeze, giving that massive cloud of cold air in our region a wee silver lining. The area around the Falls always looks incredible when the mist freezes in the winter, but this year the show is particularly epic. 

A post shared by Zeeshan Qureshi (@shani955) on

Yesterday was the coldest Jan. 1 on record in the Niagara Falls region, according to meteorologists, but the waterfalls already looked frosty near the end of 2017 after an extended stretch of extreme weather. 

A post shared by 4er68k (@4er68k) on

Photos from both sides of the famous Canadian / American waterfalls show what people are calling a "frozen paradise" or "winter wonderland."

Ice and snow have now blanketed much of what can be seen around the falls today, creating something that looks more like a Game of Thrones set than a Canadian tourist attraction.

A post shared by Jas (@thisthat101) on

Gigantic icicles can be seen hanging from rocks like stalactites around the waterfalls, and trees that happen to be anywhere near the natural wonder are coated with icy water droplets.

A post shared by Steve (@shinobly) on

But don't let the thick mist or relative quiet fool you; the falls are still very much moving under all that ice.

A post shared by Mineko Kawamura (@ventinzo) on

Niagara falls hasn't actually frozen over – as in stopped flowing – since 1848, when an ice jam blocked the water's source upriver.

A post shared by Michelle Ford (@vshellersv) on

Chilly as it's been outside in recent weeks, it would take quite a bit of cold to stop 3,160 tons of water from going over Niagara Falls every second. 

They don't call it a natural world wonder for nothing.

Lead photo by

Arjun Yadav


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in City

Canada is seeing one of the worst standard-of-living declines in 40 years

Tributes pour in after death of Toronto City Councillor Jaye Robinson

It's going to get way easier to pay transit fare in Toronto with your phone

TTC literally just gave CEO Rick Leary an award days after chaotic subway shutdown

An aggressively spreading invasive species is completely taking over a Toronto park

50 tourist attractions in downtown Toronto you need to visit at least once

Stunning new lookout point overlooking Toronto wetland opens this summer

Stunning new Toronto transit station will link several TTC and GO lines