The US became a hotspot for visual treats this week, when the record shattering polar vortex saw Hell freeze over, turned boiling water into snow and even froze the Niagara Falls in its tracks - quite literally.

These images show the US side of the three waterfalls straddling the border between Canada and America after they were frozen in time by the Arctic chills.

In these pictures taken on Wednesday the water can be seen after it has been replaced by icicles dangling from its precipice.

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Yet the freezing weather failed to deter visitors eager to see the falls in the midst of the polar vortex, which affected approximately 240 million people.

Tourists were out in force with their cameras yesterday at the Prospect Point at Niagara Falls State Park and Rainbow Bridge, where frozen mist and solid ice was clearly visible.

The weather conditions produced by this polar vortex have been so severe that even polar bears at the Lincoln Park zoo in Chicago were brought inside as the mercury dropped to a record low of -26C.

The Midwest of America has experienced temperatures the coldest temperatures, which plummeted as low as -37C.

Residents were warned their skin may freeze if they leave their homes when wind and Central Park broke a 118-year-old record when the temperature dropped to -15C.

But people in the US and southern Canada can look forward to a reprieve from the subzero conditions later this week, when the frigid air and polar vortex departs and a far-reaching January thaw begins, AccuWeather.com have predicted.