Niagara Falls Partly Freezes As Massive Winter Storm Hits US. In Pics

The Arctic "bomb cyclone" continues to wreak havoc in Western New York state, paralyzing the city over the Christmas weekend.

A view of Niagara Falls as it is partially frozen due to extreme cold weather in the Northeast in New York, United States.

The winter storm, which has been dubbed the "blizzard of the century," also froze one of the world's tallest waterfalls, turning it into "a winter wonderland," according to the New York Post. ( Image Source: Getty )

The ferocious conditions have been depicted in a number of pictures and videos, particularly in Buffalo, where bodies were found in vehicles and under snow banks. ( Image Source: Getty )

On Wednesday, Twitter users shared photos and videos of Niagara Falls that were only partially frozen. Notably, despite the immense volume of water that falls, the entire falls never freezes. According to the Niagara Falls New York State Park, 3,160 tons of water pass over Niagara Falls each second. It is falling at 32 feet per second. According to the Niagara Falls USA tourism website, a complete freeze is actually almost impossible. ( Image Source: Getty )

Before 1964, the volume of water on the US side of the Falls could freeze due to ice blocking the flow of water further upstream. Before steel ice booms were installed to prevent large ice accumulations, this occurred five times. ( Image Source: Getty )

During particularly cold winters, ice and snow frequently form an "ice bridge" over the Niagara River at the base of the falls. According to the Post, three people died on February 4, 1912, when ice broke loose and threw them into the Niagara River, causing authorities to prohibit people from walking on the ice bridge. ( Image Source: Getty )

Meanwhile, commuters and some residents fleeing their freezing homes became trapped on highways during the severe winter storm, unable to be rescued. ( Image Source: Getty )