Niagara Falls partially frozen in latest cold snap

  • Breaking
  • 21/02/2015

At least 26 people have died in the United States' latest cold snap, which blasted record low temperatures across 75 different cities today.

It's not over; more arctic air is set to deliver another blow that will affect tens of millions of people.

As Americans struggle to stay warm, nothing symbolises the cold snap better than aerial views of the Niagara Falls, now almost entirely frozen over. The water is still flowing, but under the ice.

For drivers though, these are perilous conditions. One man just avoided being hit by an out-of control car, and a police officer attending an accident had another lucky escape.

For parts of New England, this is just the latest in a series of winter storms, one that has produced a problem on a monumental scale – what to do with all the snow being removed from the streets and pavements.

The Great Lakes are largely frozen, not quite to record levels, but still enough for the Coast Guard to be deployed to keep shipping lanes open.

In Washington, the Potomac River has iced over.

It's being called the Siberian Express and for good reason. This cold snap is originating in central Russia, crossing the Atlantic, and extending 5000 miles, all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. In all, it's impacting 185 million Americans.

For the homeless it's particularly tough, and many fear for their lives.

Firefighters are having to battle the elements. After tackling one blaze, it was left encased in ice.

Emergency workers have also been rescuing pets who, like their owners, were caught out by these extreme conditions.

Even the hot springs have frozen over, creating a sculpture that is testimony to this harsh winter.

source: newshub archive