When swept through the Midwest, Northeast and New England in late January 2015, it left big snowfall accumulations in several states. In Ohio, the snowstorm dropped up to . But the snow and ice didn't just cause problems on the roadways, it also caused damage to some of the state's already-crumbling abandoned buildings.

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In Akron, Linus dropped 5 inches of snow, letting nature take over at the,which has been left decaying and exposed to the elements since 2008. The storm caused a skylight at the mall to break, blanketing the interiors of the once-bustling shopping center in snow.

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Photographer has photographed the mall previously for his book,Black Friday: The Collapse of the American Shopping Mall,documenting the structure as it slowly succumbs to Mother Nature."There's nothing more profound and sobering then being inside an abandoned mall," Lawless told weather.com. "It's a powerful symbol of America's economic decline."

Now, the mall could be a symbol of nature's power. Lawless returned to Rolling Acres after Winter Storm Linus to discover the mall—including its old escalators, fountains and store fronts, covered with snow—transforming it into an eerie winter wonderland.

View the slideshow above to see Lawless' photos of the snowy abandoned mall. For more of his work, visit his , and .

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