Comes as new arctic blast - dubbed 'Winter Storm Pandora' - is poised to strike vast parts of the US on Saturday

Temperature was so cold on Friday it fell to just two degrees in NYC - breaking the 1950 record of seven degrees

Feature Central Park blanketed in pristine sheet of snow and tugboats negotiating ice floes on the Hudson River


It is known for its stunning skyline.

And this week, Manhattan, New York, was perhaps even more picturesque as the so-called 'Siberian Express' swept across the borough.

The arctic blast, which has now been joined by a new winter storm, barreled into the region on Friday, bringing sub-zero temperatures, snow and ice.

And as these photos show, its effects were magical from an aerial perspective - with the city's Central Park blanketed in a pristine sheet of snow.

The images, taken by Getty photographer Spencer Platt at the blast's peak, include stunning scenes of the park and a frozen-over Hudson River.

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Magical: This photo, captured by CBS, shows ice floes surrounding skyscrapers in Lower Manhattan, including One World Trade Center

Stunning: The 'Siberian Express' swept into Manhattan, New York, on Friday, bringing sub-zero temperatures, snow and ice to the region. And as these aerial photos show, its effects were magical - with the city's Central Park blanketed in a pristine sheet of snow (pictured)

Snowy: This images, captured by Getty photographer Spencer Platt at the blast's peak, shows Central Park from an aerial perspective

Iced over: The pictures also include stunning scenes of a frozen-over Hudson River. Above, ice floes are pictured on the water's surface

Difficult journey: A tugboat tries to negotiate ice floes on the water's surface as the early morning sun shines over nearby skyscrapers

Record: The temperature was so cold it dropped to just two degrees in NYC on Friday - breaking the 1950 record low of seven degrees

In several, tugboats are pictured attempting to negotiate ice floes on the river's surface as the morning sun shines over Lower Manhattan.

The temperature was so cold it dropped to just two degrees in New York City on Friday morning - breaking the 1950 record low of seven degrees.

Tourist attractions, including Central Park and Fifth Avenue, were virtually empty, with residents and those visiting the city choosing to stay indoors.

And New York City wasn't the only region to see record-breaking temperatures. On Friday morning, at least 72 records were recorded, from Marquette, Michigan (-26 degrees) to Miami (42 degrees). Lynchburg, Virginia, even saw a bone-chilling minus 11 degrees - a new all-time record low

The sub-zero temperatures transformed a fountain in Letchworth State Park, New York, into a 50-foot 'ice volcano', caused the Niagara Falls to partially freeze over and led to 40-foot snow piles in the streets of Boston. The latter has inspired some locals to jump from their windows onto the snowbanks.

Deserted: Tourist attractions, such as Central Park (pictured), were virtually empty, with residents and visitors choosing to stay indoors

Blanketed in the white stuff: And New York City wasn't the only region to see record-breaking temperatures. On Friday morning, at least 72 records were recorded, from Marquette, Michigan (-26 degrees) to Miami (42 degrees). Above, another pretty aerial shot of Central Park

Drifting: Ice floes are pictured along Manhattan's East River on Friday as the so-called 'Siberian Express' barreled into New York City

Scenic: While the 'Siberian Express' resulted in striking scenes, it also led to the deaths of at least 20 people from hypothermia, the Weather Channel reported. The toll does not include anyone from New York. Above, more ice floes are pictured on the Hudson River

Dramatic: 'This week ranks among the most intense arctic outbreaks so far in the 21st century for the eastern U.S., and it is certainly one of the most impressively cold air masses we've seen this late in winter,' meteorologist Nick Wiltgen said. Above, George Washington Bridge

But while the 'Siberian Express' resulted in striking scenes, it also led to the deaths of at least 20 people from hypothermia, the Weather Channel reported. The toll includes nine people in Tennessee, six in Pennsylvania, two in Illinois and one in each of Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky,CBS reported.

Meanwhile, residents in Toronto, Canada, are still mourning the death of three-year-old Elijah Marsh, who wandered out into the extreme cold dressed in no clothes and succumbed to the freezing conditions. More than $100,000 has already been raised in donations for the toddler's funeral.

'This week ranks among the most intense arctic outbreaks so far in the 21st century for the eastern U.S., and it is certainly one of the most impressively cold air masses we've seen this late in the winter season, coming only a month before the spring equinox,' senior meteorologist Nick Wiltgen said.

It comes as a new arctic blast - labeled 'Winter Storm Pandora' by meteorologists - is poised to strike vast parts of the country on Saturday, bringing another round of heavy snow, freezing rain and treacherous ice to areas from Missouri to the mid-Atlantic, and as far south as Alabama and Georgia.

Incredible: Heavy snow and treachorous ice cover Central Park, which plummeted to a record low of two degrees on Friday morning

Hudson River: It comes as a new arctic blast - labeled 'Winter Storm Pandora' by meteorologists - is poised to strike vast parts of the country on Saturday, bringing another round of heavy snow, freezing rain and treacherous ice to widespread areas. Above, more ice floes

Frigid weather: The band of air could plunge parts of the country into deep freezes that haven't been felt since the mid-1990s, the National Weather Service said. Up to six inches of snow - adding to previous snowfall - could be seen in eastern Ohio Valley and upstate New York

Picturesque: The 'Siberian Express' phenomenon was given its name because the winds came in from Russia and traveled over the Arctic Circle, pushing frigid air into Canada and the United States. Above, ice floes along the Hudson River near the George Washington Bridge

A frosty sight: This beautiful shot, taken by photographer Spencer Platt, depicts ice floes on the Hudson River in Manhattan, New York

The band of air could plunge parts of the country into deep freezes that haven't been felt since the mid-1990s, the National Weather Service said. Up to six inches of snow - adding to previous snowfall - could be seen in eastern Ohio Valley and upstate New York, according to the Weather Channel.

Bruce Sullivan, a senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said: 'Higher amounts [of snow] over the next two days will probably be across southern Indiana and Illinois and eastward through Ohio into western Pennsylvania. That's where it looks like the jackpot will be.'

The 'Siberian Express' phenomenon was given its name because the winds came in from Russia and traveled over the Arctic Circle, pushing frigid air into Canada and the United States. On Friday, Washington's Reagan National Airport saw a record low temperature of just six degrees.