US 'bomb cyclone' weather transforms buildings into icicle palaces

An Arctic deep freeze and massive winter storm have transformed buildings.

Jimmy Nsubuga
Updated ·2-min read
People walk between frozen homes in the waterfront community of Crystal Beach in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, on December 28, 2022, following a massive snow storm that knocked out power in the area to thousands of residents. (Photo by Cole Burston / AFP) (Photo by COLE BURSTON/AFP via Getty Images)
Frozen homes are seen in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada. (Getty)

An Arctic deep freeze and massive winter storm have transformed buildings into icicle palaces in North America.

The regions in and around Buffalo, New York, downwind of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, emerged as ground zero for the freak weather.

Footage showed the aftermath of a blizzard in the city, with vehicles seen buried in snow and homes and businesses also blanketed after being hit by Storm Elliott.

Stunning pictures showed Hoak's restaurant in Buffalo covered in ice from the spray of Lake Erie.

Images also showed lakeside homes in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, draped in vertical icicles on top of already thick facades of ice.

Read more: How could the US cyclone affect UK weather?

The freak conditions extended over most of the US last week and through the Christmas holiday as far south as the Mexican border.

On Christmas Day, Buffalo had already seen 92.7in of snow this season, just a few inches shy of the average 95.4in Buffalo gets during an entire winter.

The blizzard was more deadly than a previous one in 1977, and some victims were found in cars or died as they cleared sidewalks.

At least 60 people died in weather-related incidents in recent days, NBC News reported.

TOPSHOT - A person walks by homes covered in ice at the waterfront community of Crystal Beach in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, on December 28, 2022, following a massive snow storm that knocked out power in the area to thousands of residents. (Photo by Cole Burston / AFP) (Photo by COLE BURSTON/AFP via Getty Images)
A person walks by homes covered in ice at the waterfront community of Crystal Beach. (Getty)
People walk by and photograph homes covered in ice at the waterfront community of Crystal Beach in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, on December 28, 2022, following a massive snow storm that knocked out power in the area to thousands of residents. (Photo by Cole Burston / AFP) (Photo by COLE BURSTON/AFP via Getty Images)
A massive snow storm knocked out power to thousands of residents. (Getty)
A person takes photos of a scene of frozen houses in the waterfront community of Crystal Beach in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, on December 28, 2022, following a massive snow storm that knocked out power in the area to thousands of residents. (Photo by Cole Burston / AFP) (Photo by COLE BURSTON/AFP via Getty Images)
Vertical icicles formed on top of already thick facades of ice. (Getty)
Geese fly over frozen homes in the waterfront community of Crystal Beach in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, on December 28, 2022, following a massive snow storm that knocked out power in the area to thousands of residents. (Photo by Cole Burston / AFP) (Photo by COLE BURSTON/AFP via Getty Images)
Geese fly over frozen homes in Fort Erie. (Getty)
TOPSHOT - Geese fly over frozen homes in the waterfront community of Crystal Beach in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, on December 28, 2022, following a massive snow storm that knocked out power in the area to thousands of residents. (Photo by Cole Burston / AFP) (Photo by COLE BURSTON/AFP via Getty Images)
A snow storm hit the area this week. (Getty)
A person and dog walk by homes covered in ice at the waterfront community of Crystal Beach in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, on December 28, 2022, following a massive snow storm that knocked out power in the area to thousands of residents. (Photo by Cole Burston / AFP) (Photo by COLE BURSTON/AFP via Getty Images)
A person and dog walk by homes covered in ice. (Getty)
Hoak's restaurant is covered in ice from the spray of Lake Erie waves during a winter storm that hit the Buffalo region in Hamburg, New York, U.S. December 24, 2022. Kevin Hoak/ via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY.
Hoak's restaurant in Buffalo, New York, is covered in ice from the spray of Lake Erie. (Reuters)
Hoak's restaurant is covered in ice from the spray of Lake Erie waves during a winter storm that hit the Buffalo region in Hamburg, New York, U.S. December 24, 2022. Kevin Hoak/ via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY.
The icicles were created by waves during a winter storm. (Reuters)
In this aerial photo, cars are still buried in the blizzards snow in Buffalo, New York, on December 28, 2022. - The monster storm that killed dozens in the US over the Christmas weekend continued to inflict misery on New York state and air travelers nationwide, as stories emerged of families trapped for days during the
Aerial photo shows cars are still buried in the blizzards in Buffalo, New York. (Getty)
Remnants of a fallen tree remain on the roof of a vehicle following a winter storm in Buffalo, New York, U.S., December 27, 2022. REUTERS/Lindsay DeDario
Remnants of a fallen tree remain on the roof of a vehicle following a winter storm in Buffalo. (Reuters)
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