Weather can put rivers in a jam

COLUMBUS -- The warmer weather experienced lately has been a welcome break from the freezing cold.

But the higher temperatures also can bring some hazards, particularly ice jams on rivers which can cause flooding in lowland areas.

Tim Hofbauer, Columbus and Platte County Emergency Management director, said there hasn’t been any issues with ice jam formations in the Loup and Platte rivers so far, but that could change.

“We’ve had them (ice jams) happen last year in December. Generally, when it warms up is when you see ice jams,” Hofbauer said.

No warnings have been issued in the area, but they have been keeping an eye on the rivers, he said. The main area that is being monitored is the Loup River up to Genoa.

Whether or not jams occur can largely depend on the weather to the west. As the snow melts, it moves downstream from the west toward Columbus. That additional water flow can cause the problem.

Ice jams develop when the volume of water in a river increases. That can be due to rain or melted snow. The increase causes the ice to rise and then crack, Hofbauer said. The cracked ice travels downstream and can become hung up, causing a jam in passageways.

Hofbauer said ice jams can occur anywhere, but the Loup River and the convergence of the Loup and the Platte River is the most common area for them to develop.

To monitor the rivers, Hofbauer said they mainly look at the water flow, and also rely on individuals in outer areas, like Genoa and Duncan, to report any possible problems.

Seasonal changes from winter to spring when the temperature warms, generally bring about monitoring of the rivers as well.

Flooding can occur in more than just lowland areas. An approximate two-mile-long ice jam in the Loup River in 1993 caused water to spill out of its south bank and into southern parts of the city. The floodwater covered U.S. Highways 81 and 30, and also caused some living at Wagner Lakes and Stires Lake to evacuate their homes.

More recently, there was extensive flooding earlier this year in Platte and surrounding counties due to heavy rainfall that flooded creeks.

Mild weather is expected to continue following Sunday and Monday, which reached temperatures in the 40s. According to the National Weather Service, a high of 40 degrees is expected today. The rest of the week calls for partly to mostly sunny skies with high temperatures in the 30s then dropping off to a high in the upper 20s Friday.