In pictures: Niagara Falls freezes over

Icy temperatures have taken hold of Niagara Falls, transforming the waterfalls into a magical black and white scene. The phenomenon was brought on by a cold weather system moving over North America, which the US National Weather Service says was strengthened by additional arctic air coming from Canada.

The US National Weather Service has warned the eastern region to brace for "bitter cold temperatures and wind chills." A storm system has pushed temperatures as low as minus 25 degrees Celsius in the Great Lakes region, where the Niagara Falls is located. Despite the cold, visitors are still making their way to the falls, many taking to social media to share their photos of the icy scenes.

Although it will never completely freeze over, large blocks of ice have formed at the base of the Niagara Falls. An aerial view shows the water running both around and under frozen over parts of the falls, crashing onto the large chunks at the bottom. The surrounding town of the same name lies by the water, and is also covered in heavy snow.

The giant waterfall has always been a popular photo location, but the icy landscape makes for an especially impressive picture. Visitor Emma Grafham told CNN she felt like she was in the movie Frozen. "There was even this set of stairs that were placed just outside the look-on spot and they had so much ice on them, it looked like Elsa had just cast her arm up and summoned up some stairs."

Snow and ice cover the vegetation on the edge of the Horseshoe Falls. Also known as the Canadian Falls, this is the largest of the three waterfalls straddling the US-Canada border. At 792 meters wide and 53 meters high, the Horseshoe Falls accounts for 90 percent of the water volume at the Niagara Falls — an astonishing sight both in summer and winter.