Personalized Forecasts
A.M. Planner
Home & Garden
Health
Miscellaneous
New York, NY
Local Weather
My Recent Locations
-
New York, NY
57° RealFeel® 52° -
Miami, FL
81° RealFeel® 83° -
Los Angeles, CA
72° RealFeel® 73°
Ice floes, jams can pose major dangers during winter and spring
Ice floes and ice jams have the potential to cause significant flooding and damage along rivers in cold winter climate areas.
While ice floes and jams are usually not a problem every year for a particular location, they are most common during the late winter and early spring, when the strengthening rays of the sun create runoff and rises on the streams.
However, these dangers can also occur early in the winter when a thaw follows a siege of cold weather with sustained temperatures below 32 F.
Ice jammed the Winooski River and caused it to flood downtown Montpelier, Vt., in March 1992. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)
Prolonged cold weather causes ice to form in still water areas of streams and rivers.
Depending on the severity of the cold conditions, the surface of these waterways may freeze over completely, while water flows rapidly beneath the surface.
RELATED:
Blizzards: The fiercest of winter's fury defined
What is bombogenesis?
What is a Polar Vortex?
What are jet streams and how do they influence the weather we experience?
What is La Niña?
Fluctuations in the level of the river cause the ice sheet to heave or sag.
Since water has tremendous force, a change in water level by a mere couple of inches may be enough to cause the ice sheets to break up and begin moving downstream as an ice floe.
A derailed Conrail freight train sits trapped by ice on tracks south of Harrisburg, Pa., Sunday Jan. 21, 1996. The freight train was headed to Pittsburgh from Baltimore when rising waters and ice on the Susquehanna river derailed several cars. (AP Photo/Tim Shaffer)
Most often, it is the heaving produced from a significant thaw accompanied by heavy rain that results in major ice floes.
As these blocks of ice move downstream and become lodged against each other near bridges, the confluences of streams, between narrow passages and around bends in the river, an ice jam may develop.
Ice jams may slow the motion of the river to the point where water levels rise significantly farther upstream.
An ice jam rose up along the Kankakee River and encroached on waterfront property on Friday, Feb. 28, 2014, in Wilmington, Ill. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In addition to raising the risk of flooding along the immediate banks of the river, damage to adjacent bridges, levees and property may occur. The ice can act like a giant slab of concrete with razor sharp edges.
A rapid breakup of a major ice jam may also lead to flash flooding downstream.
Comments
Comments that don't add to the conversation may be automatically or manually removed by Facebook or AccuWeather. Profanity, personal attacks, and spam will not be tolerated.
More Weather News
-
Photos: Damaging storms, confirmed tornado hit Massachusetts, Rhode Island
Weather News - October 23, 2018, 6:50:17 PM EDT
Locally damaging storms rumbled across southern New England on Tuesday afternoon, leaving behind downed trees and power outages
-
Why October's full moon is known as the Hunter's Moon
Weather News
The full Hunter’s Moon will rise on Wednesday night, lighting up the sky all night long around the globe.
-
The easiest versus most difficult cities to evacuate in the US
Weather News
With the knowledge that natural disasters can happen at any time, would your city be prepared to evacuate thousands, or even millions, of people?
-
December-like chill, wintry showers to descend on the UK later this week
Weather News - October 23, 2018, 11:58:54 AM EDT
The first taste of winter will be felt across the United Kingdom from Friday into this weekend.
-
Powerful winterlike storm to unload soaking rain, snow in northeastern US
Weather News - October 23, 2018, 3:04:12 PM EDT
A storm is forecast to track close enough to the Atlantic coast to disrupt travel in the northeastern United States due to drenching rain, snow and gusty winds during this weekend.
-
How Carolinas, Florida are handling the upcoming midterm elections following 2 devastating hurricanes
Weather News - October 23, 2018, 11:35:15 AM EDT
With the pivotal midterm elections several weeks away, hurricanes Michael and Florence have been major obstacles to the administrative procedures for the election in the hardest-hit locations in the Carolinas and Florida.
-
Stunning autumn foliage starts to emerge in southeastern US despite Florence, Michael impacts
Weather News - October 23, 2018, 11:43:44 AM EDT
Hurricanes Florence and Michael ravaged through the southeastern United States earlier this year, raising concerns among leaf peepers whether these storms would hurt autumn colors. However, projections for a vibrant fall color season still remain bright.
-
Typhoon Yutu set to slam Guam, Northern Mariana Islands at midweek
Weather News - October 23, 2018, 8:12:06 AM EDT
Typhoon Yutu will bring risks ranging from flooding and damaging winds to dangerous seas to Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
-
Photos: Damaging storms, confirmed tornado hit Massachusetts, Rhode Island
Weather News - October 23, 2018, 6:50:17 PM EDT
Locally damaging storms rumbled across southern New England on Tuesday afternoon, leaving behind downed trees and power outages
-
Why October's full moon is known as the Hunter's Moon
Weather News
The full Hunter’s Moon will rise on Wednesday night, lighting up the sky all night long around the globe.
-
The easiest versus most difficult cities to evacuate in the US
Weather News
With the knowledge that natural disasters can happen at any time, would your city be prepared to evacuate thousands, or even millions, of people?
-
December-like chill, wintry showers to descend on the UK later this week
Weather News - October 23, 2018, 11:58:54 AM EDT
The first taste of winter will be felt across the United Kingdom from Friday into this weekend.
-
Powerful winterlike storm to unload soaking rain, snow in northeastern US
Weather News - October 23, 2018, 3:04:12 PM EDT
A storm is forecast to track close enough to the Atlantic coast to disrupt travel in the northeastern United States due to drenching rain, snow and gusty winds during this weekend.
-
How Carolinas, Florida are handling the upcoming midterm elections following 2 devastating hurricanes
Weather News - October 23, 2018, 11:35:15 AM EDT
With the pivotal midterm elections several weeks away, hurricanes Michael and Florence have been major obstacles to the administrative procedures for the election in the hardest-hit locations in the Carolinas and Florida.
-
Stunning autumn foliage starts to emerge in southeastern US despite Florence, Michael impacts
Weather News - October 23, 2018, 11:43:44 AM EDT
Hurricanes Florence and Michael ravaged through the southeastern United States earlier this year, raising concerns among leaf peepers whether these storms would hurt autumn colors. However, projections for a vibrant fall color season still remain bright.
-
Typhoon Yutu set to slam Guam, Northern Mariana Islands at midweek
Weather News - October 23, 2018, 8:12:06 AM EDT
Typhoon Yutu will bring risks ranging from flooding and damaging winds to dangerous seas to Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
TRENDING NOW
Photos: Damaging storms, confirmed tornado hit Massachusetts, Rhode Island
Locally damaging storms rumbled across southern New England on Tuesday afternoon, leaving behind downed trees and power outages
Read Story
Stunning autumn foliage starts to emerge in southeastern US despite Florence, Michael impacts
Hurricanes Florence and Michael ravaged through the southeastern United States earlier this year, raising concerns among leaf peepers whether these storms would hurt autumn colors. However, projections for a vibrant fall color season still remain bright.
Read Story
AccuWeather.com
Custom Search