Polar vortex: Scenes of 'deep freeze' from Niagara falls to US cities

With people rushing to hospital due to frostbites, the freezing conditions in the Midwest have disrupted the lives of many.

Pedestrians pass a frozen water fountain at Bryant Park in New York. The polar vortex that brought many cities to a standstill was expected to come to a swift end with a rapid thaw that experts say could be unprecedented. But the sudden swing from long jo 

Ice and water flows over the brink of the Horseshoe Falls in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. (Photo | AP)

Crew members prepare to tie off as the ice covered fishing boat, Buzzards Bay, arrives at New Bedford, Massachusetts harbor due to the extreme cold conditions. (Photo | AP)

Michigan officials said efforts to conserve heat during the extreme cold reduced usage by 10 percent following a fire at a major natural gas facility. IN PIC: Ice and water flows over the brink of the Horseshoe Falls in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. (Photo | AP)

Officials in Buffalo, New York, watched for flooding on the Upper Niagara River because of ice. IN PIC: Ice covers the observation deck at the base of Horseshoe falls in Niagara Falls, Ontario. (Photo | AP)

Rockford, Illinois, was at a record-breaking minus 31 (minus 35 Celsius) on Thursday morning but should be around 50 (10 Celsius) on Monday. Other previously frozen areas could see temperatures of 55 (13 Celsius) or higher. (Photo | AP)

Cars and trucks were part of a 21 vehicle pileup in Batavia, New York. Police said the crash shut down the New York State Thruway where heavy snow and high winds made driving treacherous. (Photo | AP)

The dramatic warm-up will offer a respite from the bone-chilling cold that canceled school, closed businesses and halted trains. But potholes will appear on roads and bridges weakened by the freeze-thaw cycle. IN PIC: Ice forms along the shore of Lake Michigan before sunrise. (Photo | AP)