SNAP*Shot: Lower Falls in Winter

Yellowstone in the white of winter is a stunning wonderland. The Lower Falls is magical in winter with baby-blue ice growing thicker and wider in this frigid season where temps reach -30 degrees and colder.

An ice cone forms at the base of the falls from splash, mist, and snowfall. It can grow 2/3 the height of the falls itself. The water, thick with cold, crashes down 308 feet sending mist into the air taller than the falls. From Lookout Point, the roar of falling water is muffled by the snow and ice buildup, but once at the bottom, the Yellowstone River flows downhill and north into Paradise Valley and ultimately to the Missouri River.

The beauty of this place just begs for us to linger, but as the wind picks up, we don’t have enough layers to keep the freezing chill at bay. Time to return to the warmth of the snowcoach and smile at the beauty of this special place wrapped in winter white.

Lower Falls in Winter

White Porcelain at Norris Geyser Basin

Yellowstone in winter is truly a wonderland. Quiet solitude, the result of few park visitors and the muffling effect of deep snow. Vast sparkling snow landscapes can feel disorienting and measuring snow depth in feet both define winter here. Last autumn we visited Porcelain Basin, one of two basins at Norris Geyser Basin. Today we will marvel at the basin in its winter glory–White Porcelain this time of year! Welcome to Yellowstone’s most acidic and hottest hydrothermal area and one of the most active earthquake areas in Yellowstone.

Porcelain Basin

Bundle up and let’s go