River ice is thinner than in 2018 but ice jams may still form, says GRCA
'Whenever there’s ice on the river, there’s always a chance that it could jam,' Cam Linwood says
Despite thinner river ice and a later start to winter, ice jams could still happen on rivers in and around Waterloo region — but it's unlikely we'll see a repeat of last year's dramatic flooding, says the GRCA.
Staff have been monitoring the ice conditions, said Cam Linwood, communications co-ordinator for the Grand River Conservation Authority.
"What we're seeing this year is certainly a later start to winter," Linwood said. Cold temperatures in November didn't last, and that's resulted in thinner ice on the rivers.
Last February, "blue ice" formed on the rivers and ice jams caused flooding in Waterloo region. Giant chunks of ice heaved out of the river and blocked Highway 24 in Cambridge's south end.
Some Brantford residents were told to leave their homes and the city declared a state of emergency after ice and frigid water went over the banks of the Grand River.
The likelihood of that happening again this year is much lower, Linwood said.
"Whenever there's ice on the river, there's always a chance that it could jam up somewhere. Having said that, the ice we see on the river this year is certainly not anywhere as we saw last year, but there is still ice there," Linwood said.
Along with visually monitoring the ice, staff also keep close tabs on the weather forecast and ground conditions, including how much snow there is in the watershed and in areas north of it.
"We keep a close watch on the forecast," Linwood said.
"We will pay attention to systems that move into the watershed, warm fronts that may bring some heavy rainfall as well as some warmer temperatures that might cause some of that ice to start moving and that snow to melt."