The polar vortex has North America in an arctic grip, with temperatures plummeting to near minus 50, but a new trend has started dubbed the "Polar Vortex Challenge".

The challenge features people throwing boiling water into the air so that the contents turn to mist instantaneously.

But one Canadian has taken the challenge to another level after his attempt bypassed mist and converted into straight snow.

The video shows a man filling up a mug with boiling water from a kettle and then throwing the contents at a wall, leaving a snow residue on the bricks.

Kevin Parry, the person in the video, said: "I was surprised to find that boiling water immediately turned to thick snow - and not a mist - when thrown against a wall in the frigid cold."

The video was captured yesterday (January 31).