U.S.

Niagara Falls frozen solid? Not so fast

January 9, 2014 / 6:14 PM EST / CBS

While the polar vortex and record-breaking low temperatures are causing all sorts of environmental phenomena, in this case, the cold may have gone to our heads.

Photographs of Niagara Falls have circulating the internet with captions claiming that the historic site is completely frozen over. In reality, Niagara Falls is not frozen over, as you can see from the live webcam.

The falls are partially covered in ice, which happens every year. In fact, some of the photographs gaining popularity online, like this one, are not even from 2014.

This photograph of the Canada side of Niagara Falls was taken in 2007 John Piercy

According to Reuters, during the recent polar vortex, "parts of the 176 foot American falls were covered in ice and the area below the conservation area was frozen over. The cold weather caused the Niagara river to form an 'ice bridge," and "large amounts of ice up river from the falls lead authorities to issue a flash flood warning for two islands in the area."

Here are some scenic photos of Niagara Falls from this year, which clearly show that the falls is covered in ice and snow, but still flowing as usual.

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