This car was transformed into a huge ice sculpture after its owner parked it by a freezing lake overnight

The owner of this car is going to need more than a scraper to remove the sheet of ice that wrapped itself around the vehicle after it was parked by Lake Eeerie in New York.

Justin Yelen, 24, parked it by the lake in the Buffalo area on Sunday night. However, sub-zero temperatures and strong winds meant water blowing over the vehicle turned it into this remarkable ice sculpture.

Matthew Bové, a reporter for Buffalo's local news channel WKBW, tweeted the image and posted it on Facebook, where it has received over 5,000 likes and 7,000 shares. Bové said: "I don't even know if pictures do it justice. .. it seems like there are several inches of thick ice surrounding the car."

"I really don't know how they're eventually going to move this car. This is an image that'll stick with me for years and years to come," he said.

After the image went viral, Bové and his team tracked down the owner, Yelen, who told WKBW that he left the car by the lake overnight because he'd been drinking with friends and didn't want to drive. Not surprisingly, he also said he hopes summer comes soon.

What happens when you park your car near Rt. 5 @WKBW @7FirstAlert #Buffalo pic.twitter.com/lEqoOXHlz8

- Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) January 11, 2016

The Buffalo area has been hit by severe weather conditions as gusts of up to 45mph and temperatures as low as -8 Celsius (17 Fahrenheit) grip the region.

Yelen will probably have to wait a while before retrieving his frozen car as more harsh weather is forecast.