When the Niagara Falls Stopped

Situated on the America/Canada border, the Niagara Falls often get snow, but it’s extremely rare for it to be cold enough for the falls to freeze. Sadly the phenomenon is never likely to happen again, partly because of global warming and partly due to man-made dam to control the flow. To be accurate, it was the American falls that froze and not the larger Horseshoe falls, also at Niagara. Nevertheless, we are impressed by these frozen snow pictures with their giant icicles. When you look at the mighty Horseshoe Falls, it’s difficult to imagine any force strong enough to stop this gigantic rush of water – yet it is on record that Mother Nature did stop the flow. Since a tragic event in 1912, when the ice suddenly broke up and two tourists were killed, going out on the ice bridge has been strictly prohibited. Ice jams along the river would often seriously hamper power diversions and damage shoreline installations. Since 1964, these problems have been reduced with the installation of an Ice Boom across the mouth of the river. Niagara Falls Completely froze up in year 1911 and this is a rare photo of the event.