Remembering the Christmas Niagara Falls turned brown

Tourists visiting Niagara Falls on Christmas Day 2022 saw the honourary 8th wonder of the world sporting a new look - the water had turned brown. https://twitter.com/ECCCWeatherON/status/1606746029105225732?s=20&t=IQMet8LNRcbGjFiXYTb5xw, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) said the water looked "chocolate," but you wouldn't want to drink what was roaring down the falls.

The temporary makeover was due to winds up to 110 km/h sweeping over Lake Erie for two days prior, coupled with harsh, 9-metre waves that churned debris. Some of the colour was due to rocks, sand, and other natural pieces of debris.

A storm-related power outage caused Niagara's Crystal Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant to lose both utility and emergency power. Without it, sewage pumping ceased, resulting in 30 million litres of sewage overflowing into Lake Erie and down the falls between December 25 and 27, and likely further contributing to the falls' muddy hue.

This is on the Canadian side, by the way.

It was a different story on the U.S. side, with several images and videos emerging of frozen falls.

The Buffalo area was hard-hit by a storm over the holidays in 2022, with some places seeing over 140 cm of snow. The system, which was felt throughout much of the United States, cause at least 60 deaths nationwide.

The system brought blizzards and whiteouts to parts of Ontario. Power outages, flight cancellations, and travel delays were reported in both Canada and the U.S.

Header image - File photo courtesy of Sheraton Fallsview Hotel.