Polar vortex freezes Niagara Falls

ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)

STORY: A deadly blast of arctic air that shattered decades-old temperature records as it enveloped the eastern United States this week has caused Niagara Falls on the United States and Canadian border to become a winter wonderland.

Parts of the 176 foot (53.6.m) American Falls were covered in ice and the area below the observation area was frozen over as tourists flocked to the destination on Thursday (January 9).

The cold weather caused the Niagara River to form an "ice bridge" and freeze over. Large amounts of ice up river from the falls led authorities to issue a flash-flood warning for two islands in the area, according to local media reports.

The low of minus -20.55 degrees Celsius (5 Fahrenheit) at the National Weather Service office at Buffalo Niagara International Airport tied a record set in 1942. The wind chill dropped down to -33.33 Celsius (-28 Fahrenheit), The Buffalo News reported.