Most major Canadian cities have experienced their coldest and snowiest winters in decades, and for the second time this winter, Niagara Falls is mostly frozen.
the U.S. National Weather Service meteorologists released a “misery index” showing this winter has been one of the most miserable on record. It looks at temperature, snowfall and snow depth assigning a numeric score for each day.
Canada is suffering the nip of Jack Frost this season too. Winnipeg is seeing the coldest winter in 35 years with snowfall at 50% above average. Windsor is also experiencing its coldest winter in 35 years and the snowiest on record. Toronto and St. John’s are experiencing the coldest winters in 20 years.
The falls have frozen in the past but it’s a pretty rare phenomena. If the winter is cold for long enough, the ice will completely stretch across the river and form what is known as the “ice bridge”.
Until 1912, visitors were allowed to actually walk out on the ice bridge and view the Falls from below. On February 24th 1888 the local newspaper reported that at least 20,000 people watched or tobogganed on the ice. There were even makeshift liquor bars set up on the ice.
On February 4th 1912 the ice bridge broke up and three tourists fell to their deaths.
I know a lot of England has suffered with the floods etc but I’m pretty glad I don’t have to dress up like an arctic explorer every time I leave the house. I simply don’t have the time.
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