While the cold weather has wreaked chaos and hardship for thousands of Americans, it has turned one of the US’s most famous landmarks into a spectacular vision.

Niagara Falls has been transformed into a stunning vista of snow, water and ice.

Temperatures dropped to as low as -2F in Niagara, New York state, leaving huge chunks of ice clinging on at the top of the waterfall, while others cascaded over the falls carried by the water with the mist forming a beautiful rainbow.

The picturebook scene was completed with mounds of unspoilt snow and ice forming along the banks of the falls and river. Steam was also seen rising up from the Falls because the water temperature is warmer than the freezing air.