Is it true that Niagara Falls froze? Abnormally low temperatures caused Niagara Falls to freeze. Impressions of people who visited Niagara Falls
Due to the abnormal cold that reached Canada, Niagara Falls, which is considered the largest in the world, froze.
The polar vortex that covered the United States not only caused damage to the economy of $5 billion, but also claimed about 20 lives. Over the course of several days, temperatures in the continental US states - from California to New York - dropped below normal by 14-19 degrees. America has not seen frosts like those in Antarctica for about 20 years. Niagara Falls froze for the first time in 100 years.
(Total 10 photos + 1 video)
1. Due to record low temperatures and cold winds in America, Niagara Falls (pictured) - on the border of the USA and Canada - partially froze.
2. In the area of the waterfall, the air temperature dropped to 28 degrees below zero.
3. A record amount of ice on the Niagara River threatens to flood the city of Niagara Falls after warming.
4. And the landscape looks so serene near the Niagara observation deck.
5. Despite the frost, Niagara attracts tourists who rush to see a rare phenomenon - a waterfall bound in ice.
6. Record low temperatures were recorded near Niagara Falls on Tuesday.
10. And this is what Niagara looks like in summer.
11. American Falls, one of three waterfalls that form the Niagara complex, last froze in 1911-1912. In 1912, it froze completely for 40 hours.
Perhaps no waterfall in the world is as popular as Niagara. Throughout the year, it is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists who are fascinated by the unsurpassed beauty of this natural wonder. In 2014, people who visited this beautiful place were amazed by a very rare sight. They saw that Niagara Falls was frozen. Why is this happening?
Causes of waterfall freezing
Many people wondered why it froze. It's no secret that in recent years the Earth has been subject to various natural disasters, which present humanity with very unexpected surprises. Thus, in the United States in recent years, abnormally cold and snowy winters have been observed almost every year. If just a few decades ago it was impossible to imagine North America covered with a large layer of snow and freezing at a temperature of -30...-40 ˚С, now such weather no longer surprises anyone. contributed to the rapid freezing of even such a powerful flow of water as in Niagara Falls.
Niagara Falls Ice Complex
Everyone knows that the height of this waterfall exceeds 50 m. The entire Niagara Cascade complex consists of 3 separate elements. Thus, the Canadian Falls, which is often called the “Horseshoe”, has a width of 792 m. The so-called “Veil” has the smallest size - only 17 m. And the third - the American Falls - is 323 m wide. In this huge complex even After freezing, a certain amount of water still continues to flow. In this case, numerous ice growths are formed.
An excursion into distant history
The earliest documented evidence of the freezing of Niagara Falls dates back to 1948. At that time, people who saw such an extraordinary spectacle were not only delighted, but also frightened. It seemed to many that the end of the world had come, since in their memory such a phenomenon had never been observed before. And on March 29, 1848, the channel was completely blocked for several hours by a huge ice iceberg, which broke off at the river. At this time, the flow of water almost completely stopped.
Some people who recently asked the question whether Niagara Falls freezes did not know the information that such a rather rare phenomenon had already been recorded once, not only in documents. This miracle of nature was also captured in photographs. Thus, in the USA, Niagara Falls froze back in 1912. Since many people already had cameras at that time, people had the opportunity to capture this unforgettable sight. Then Niagara Falls froze almost completely for 40 hours. Until 1912, onlookers were always allowed to go out onto the ice floes to watch the waterfall tamed by the frost from below. There were even tents set up there for selling liquor. After a misfortune occurred on February 4, 1912, namely the death of three tourists on a broken ice floe, people were not allowed to the foot of the frozen Niagara Falls. It is quite remarkable that after more than 100 years, such an unusual phenomenon occurred again twice in one month.
Very few sources mention the freezing of Niagara Falls in 1932 because it was so fast. Then severe frosts managed to stop the flow of water for just a few hours, so there were very few witnesses to this event.
Meteorologists explain why Niagara Falls froze
Many people cannot understand why such an unusual and rare phenomenon arose. In the area where the river flows. Niagara, the air temperature in January very rarely drops to -6...-8 ˚С. That is why the sudden cold snap led to such an unforgettable phenomenon. According to meteorologists, Niagara Falls froze completely due to the prolonged impact of the polar vortex. It was she who brought abnormal frosts to the United States. Thus, in January 2014, the air temperature dropped below normal by 16-19˚C for several days.
Falling water, forming a thick fog, during severe and prolonged frosts creates ice formations that are located under the waterfall. Only when winter is extremely harsh do they cover Niagara Falls almost completely. At the same time, a characteristic “ice bridge” is formed on the river, stretching for several kilometers.
Niagara Falls has frozen twice this year. For the first time, the water flows were almost completely covered with ice. This spectacle was especially clearly visible at the American Falls, whose height reaches 34 m. It was this that constituted the main tourist attraction located on the border of the United States and Canada. The flowing streams of water turned into multi-meter icicles. Refreezing was only partial. At the same time, spectators saw not only huge blocks of ice and icicles, but also streams of water seething among them. The amazing spectacle presented by the waterfall, frozen in several places, delighted the audience for only a few hours.
Impressions of people who visited Niagara Falls
Numerous tourists who visited this beautiful place in early January 2014 were amazed by the fact that powerful streams of water flowing from the top of the rock and not reaching the bottom turn into numerous blocks of ice with amazing patterns. As a result of forty-degree frosts, even the Niagara River turned into a small stream. However, tourists and local residents saw their advantages in this anomalous event. The huge flow of people wanting to admire the giant icicles, the length of which sometimes exceeded 50 m, did not stop for several days.
Popularity of images of a frozen waterfall
Despite the damage caused by the cold, many photographers have successfully made money from images of frozen waterfalls. The most popular are photographs of huge icicles and views with night illumination. Hundreds of bloggers around the world have posted unique photos on the pages of their websites and share their impressions of such natural beauty with everyone. At the same time, many experts say that there are a lot of fake pictures of the waterfall on the Internet.
Enterprising Americans even installed a video camera at their famous tourist site that broadcast live from it. Anyone who wants to see with their own eyes how Niagara Falls froze (2014) can see the photos here.
The consequences of cold weather for the US economy
Despite all the beauty of the frozen Niagara Falls, abnormal frosts caused huge losses. Thus, the damage caused by the cold weather of early 2014 in the eastern and central regions, according to the most conservative estimates, is estimated at $5 billion.
Niagara Falls is frozen.
Today, 15:31 * Unprecedented frosts in the USA led to the almost complete freezing of one of the largest waterfalls in the world - Niagara. The jets of water, before reaching the bottom, turned into giant icicles.
The Niagara River was frozen in ice, and the powerful waterfall became more like a shallow stream. At the same time, there are still tourists who, despite the frost, get to the waterfall to capture this historical event.
Niagara Falls froze completely in 1848 and 1912.
Residents of America, meanwhile, are looking forward to the warming that weather forecasters promised them in the very near future. In several states, temperatures dropped to 30 degrees below zero.
Source:apotime.ru.
Niagara Falls froze for the first time in 100 years
Today 11:36 * Severe frosts in North America have led to the almost complete freezing of Niagara Falls. The last time something like this happened was 100 years ago, reports 1tv.ru.
Video: #t=11
Despite the extreme cold, crowds of tourists come to look at the 50-meter stalactites. Tickets for excursions are sold instantly.
Niagara “frozen” in a similar way in 1912. The reservoir froze in 1932, but not so much.
Ice in Niagara could have negative consequences for the nearby city of Niagara Falls. Local authorities have already warned residents of this locality that as temperatures rise, the ice in the river will begin to melt, and therefore flooding is possible, reports Vladtime.ru.
Niagara Falls froze due to record frosts. © EPA
Meanwhile, US residents are looking forward to the warming promised by meteorologists.
Let us remind you that 21 people became victims of bad weather in the United States. Most people died as a result of road accidents, as well as due to snowfall and frostbite. The victims included homeless people.
The abnormally low air temperature, which was the result of the Arctic vortex dominating the western-central United States, led to a rather unusual state of Niagara Falls, located on the border of the American state of New York and the Canadian province of Ontario.
Judging by the photographs that appeared in large numbers on the Internet during the cold wave, it seems that the waterfalls have frozen to the ground and the water no longer flows. However, this is not quite true. Almost all of the waterfalls that come out of the Niagara River have a thick outer shell of ice, which generally happens every year, but underneath the water continues to ooze, creating intricate patterns of ice as it exits.
It's just that in 2014 the ice cover was especially thick, as the air temperature in Niagara stayed below -2°C for several days. Due to the fact that ice has trapped a significant volume of water both in Niagara and in the Falls themselves in the form of a solid ice bridge, a flood warning will be issued for the two river islands and for coastal areas after warming reaches +7°.
Interestingly, the most catastrophic freezing of Niagara occurred in 1848. Then the waterfalls completely dried up, but not because of the freezing of the river itself, but because of congestion from ice blocks that blocked the flow.
Record frosts hit Niagara Falls on the border of the United States and Canada. Streams of boiling water turned into giant icicles, more than fifty meters high. Dozens of tourists come here to see the frozen miracle, despite the severe frost: in the region it is now minus thirty-three degrees Celsius. In the afternoon, the movement of the waterfall practically stopped - all the water turned into a mountain of icicles.
The last time Niagara froze like this was a hundred years ago. However, the ice kingdom will not exist for long: meteorologists promise warming in the coming days. Islanders on the Niagara River are preparing for flooding.
This message reminded me of a summer trip to Niagara Falls, about which I was going to write a post, but never got around to it... Now I’m in a hurry to make a post “hot on the heels” about “frozen Niagara Falls”. Niagara Falls froze completely in 1848 and 1912, i.e. froze to such an extent that a crust of ice formed an “ice bridge” on the surface of the waterfall, along which people walked.
The post about the city said that Niagara Falls was a 30-minute drive from Buffalo.
Due to record frosts that hit the North American continent in January, Niagara Falls froze. A huge part of the waterfall has been completely covered with ice over the past few days.
Pieces of ice periodically break off and fall into the river. In this regard, on both islands adjacent to Niagara Falls, local authorities have issued a warning about possible floods.
According to weather forecasters, in this region of North America the thermometer reached a temperature of minus twenty degrees Celsius.
Note that the last time such low temperatures in North America were recorded by meteorologists was seventy years ago. Due to unprecedented cold weather in the United States, thousands of flights have been cancelled. .
Niagara Falls is located on the Niagara River between Lakes Erie and Ontario in eastern North America, on the border between the United States and Canada. The falls are partly in Canada, partly in the USA, and are divided by Goat Island. The name refers to three separate waterfalls: American Falls, Veil Falls, and Horseshoe Falls (known in Canada as Canadian Falls). Although the difference in height is not very great, the falls are very wide, and in terms of the volume of water passing through it, Niagara Falls is the most powerful in North America.
Niagara Falls is frozen. Photo of 1911
In 1911, Niagara froze for half a day, long enough to allow walking over the edge of the falls.
From an 1842 guide to Niagara Falls:
"Neither the Niagara River nor the Falls are ever frozen through, the water continues to flow under the ice shell. What you see are just ice sculptures with water flowing under them. The thickness of the shell depends on the right temperature and how long it lasts ".
The phenomenon of ice covering a river and waterfall is known as an "ice bridge." In fact, the flow of water in Niagara never stops, although it may decrease. Falling water and fog in severe frost create ice formations below, under the waterfall. And if the winter is severe enough, then ice covers Niagara Falls completely. In this case, a so-called “ice bridge” is created, which can extend several kilometers down the river.
This ice bridge can extend for several miles downriver until it reaches an area known as the lower rapids. Until 1912, visitors were allowed to go directly onto the ice floe to view the waterfall from below. On February 24th, 1888, the local newspaper reported that at least 20,000 people were sightseeing or sledding on the ice floe. Liquor stalls, photographers and curious people abounded. On February 4th, 1912, an ice floe broke and three tourists died.
The water flow at the waterfall stopped completely only once - 29 March 1848 and then just for a few hours. The reason for this was an ice jam upstream of the river.
The last time Niagara Falls froze completely was in 1932.
From the Toronto Globe (now the Globe and Mail), February 1896, you can get an idea of the activity on the ice bridge at that time:
...last Sunday there were about 20 thousand people on the ice bridge, mostly young people. We spent the whole day sledding and having fun. In the middle there were several wooden booths offering broth, cakes and coffee."
The same booths offered souvenirs, photographer services, and also sold illegal alcohol. If discontent was anticipated on the part of the American authorities, the booth was moved in the opposite Canadian direction, or vice versa. The chances that there would be no fine at all were very high, since the exact border line could be discussed in court for a very long time.
One day, local residents woke up from something strange - it was quiet. Usually the sound of the falls can be heard far away, but on the morning of March 30, 1948, Niagara stopped flowing, and the huge horseshoe-shaped falls and the American Falls stopped falling.
Some enterprising men went down to the deserted forest, where the water usually rumbles, and found a lot of interesting things there: weapons from the War of 1812, tomahawks, huge relict pine trunks 18 meters long. Furniture was made from the pine trees, and each item was sold with a unique story behind its creation. Thousands of parishioners in churches saw the incident as a sign of future misfortunes.
The water stopped due to the beginning of ice drift on Lake Erie; ice floes on Niagara formed an impenetrable ice dam, which blocked the flow of the river for a day. Then the wind changed, the dam broke - and the waterfall rumbled again, everyone sighed calmly, life returned to normal.
And also see (1460×1152)
Yes! No matter how ridiculous it may sound, but even Niagara Falls may freeze!!! In fact, the flow of water in Niagara never stops, although it may decrease. Falling water and fog in severe frost create ice formations below, under the waterfall. And if the winter is severe enough, then ice covers Niagara Falls completely. In this case, a so-called “ice bridge” is created, which can extend several kilometers down the river.
Enlarged map of Niagara Falls. (Google maps)
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Niagara Falls on Google maps.
You can also see a detailed tourist view of Niagara Falls.
Until 1912, people were allowed to walk on this ice bridge until it unexpectedly cracked, taking the lives of three tourists.
The flow of water at the waterfall stopped completely only once - 29 March 1848 and then just for a few hours. The reason for this was an ice jam upstream of the river.
The last time Niagara Falls froze completely was in 1932.
Niagara Falls is frozen. Photo from 1911:
A few more photos from different years:
The photos are truly rare. Seeing a frozen waterfall does not seem like something unusual, but only if we are not talking about Niagara Falls.
In the American part of the waterfall, the flow of water was also stopped in 1969. This time by people, to resolve the issue of the possibility of removing piles of stones away from the waterfall. This was supposed to improve visibility from the American side. As a result, it was decided that it was too expensive and the stones remained in place.
The video shows that people do not really adhere to the ban on walking on the ice bridge.
In fact, this is just a reconstruction of the frozen Niagara Falls at the Harbin Snow Festival (northeast China).
And finally, a video of the real Niagara Falls. True, it was not completely frozen, but still quite cold.
For contrast, here is a photo of Niagara Falls in summer, as they say, in all its glory.
