A cold blast and blizzards have transformed houses into something more reminiscent of igloos near Lake Erie in New York. The remarkable transformation was brought to the world's attention on social media, where people have been sharing pictures of the icy homes.

In many cases, the ice covering the homes is so thick that residents have had to dig their way outside with tools.

This is what's really worrying those whose houses have turned into igloos:

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In an interview with WGRZ, Hoover Beach resident Ed Mis said: "I actually had to go out a secondary door and then chisel my way back into the house by breaking the ice.

"This is like our sixth storm in a matter of a few months, and it's kind of wearing on everybody."

It's not known how the ice will have affected the homes it has encased, however, significant damage was done to homes in the area because of the blizzard's winds, which reached up to 60mph and toppled trees and powerlines, Accuweather reports.

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Unfortunately, the geographical location of the blizzard has made it worse for residents close to Lake Erie. This is because of what's known as the "lake effect", which, per Merriam Webster, involves warmer water from a lake mixing with the cold air of a storm, creating additional precipitation that can manifest as snowfall.

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In response to the pictures of the igloo houses, one Twitter user wrote: "What did they think would happen living so close to the Lake? I bet Rt 5 near St Francis was horrible, too! (I grew up near Mickey Rats in Angola, so I do understand the draw to the Lake.)"

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Another remarked: "I'm CERTAIN this has something to do with GLOBAL WARMING!!!!"

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On the subject of freezing, a cat that was found frozen on a Montana snowbank last year managed to make a miraculous recovery.

Houses near Lake Erie in New York look like igloos after blizzards