03.20.2011

So far, the ice is jammed south of where the flood will affect my in laws.  A lot of precautionary steps were taken this weekend for the worst case scenario.  I guess the only thing to do now is wait it out and see what happens. 

Just in case you wanted a more scientific explanation of what an ice jam is and why it occurs (like I did), I included one that I found online.

"Ice jams occur when warm temperatures and heavy rain cause snow to melt rapidly. Snow melt combined with heavy rains can cause frozen rivers to swell, which breaks the ice layer on top of the river. The ice layer often breaks into large chunks, which float downstream and often pile up near narrow passages other obstructions, such as bridges and dams."

"During thaws, runoff from snow melt increases the flow of water in rivers. This increased flow raises the water level, which pushes up on ice sheets covering the top of the river. If the ice sheets break apart, it moves downstream in a surge large ice chunks. In places of restricted water flow (such as shallow bends in a river, an intact ice sheet, or around bridges), the ice can pile up and an ice jam will form. The jam may then buildup great great enough to dam the river and cause flooding."

from Northeast States Emergency Consortium  http://www.nesec.org/hazards/ice_jams.cfm