Extreme Cold Raises Ice Jam Flooding Risk in West Michigan

The National Weather Service says West Michigan is heading into a prolonged period of extreme cold through the end of the week, and those low temperatures are increasing the risk of ice jams on area rivers.

An ice jam happens when chunks of ice break apart, clump together, and block the natural flow of a river. When that blockage forms, water has nowhere to go. It can rise quickly and spill over riverbanks, sometimes with little to no warning. That is what makes ice jams so dangerous, the flooding can happen fast.

The above is video from WZZM13 from a few winters ago in a much lesser ice jam situation than what is expected. 

Typically, ice jams are most common in mid winter when a deep freeze is followed by a quick warmup and temperatures climb above freezing. That sudden thaw loosens ice and sends it moving downstream.

Bad news, a warmup is not expected anytime soon. Even so, the National Weather Service says the Arctic air now locked over West Michigan will continue to build ice on rivers. More ice means more pressure, more movement, and a higher chance that ice will stack up and jam, especially in narrow bends or areas with existing obstructions.

Anyone who lives near a river should start preparing now. That includes staying alert for rapid changes in water levels, keeping valuables out of basements or low lying areas, and having a plan if water starts to rise. (This is not meant to be alarmist. It is meant to be realistic.)

Ice jams are unpredictable and by the time one forms, there may not be much time to react. As brutal as this cold has already been, it’s what it’s doing to our rivers that deserves your close attention over the next several days as things start to defrost.

Michigan winters always test us, but this is one of those moments where paying attention early can make a real difference.