An ice jam on the Kenai River near the Sterling Highway Bridge in Soldotna continues to hold as of Dec. 15.
The river is near bankfull upstream of the bridge and floodwaters have begun to creep into residential areas along the Kenai River.
Andy Dixon is a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Anchorage. He says cold air temperatures are responsible for the ice jam.
“In the Kenai area, maybe a week ago, the temperatures bottomed out at 10 or 20 [degrees] below zero. The river was producing ice very efficiently. It’s really that cold snap that led to the really dramatic ice production that caused it to get jammed at the bridge,” he said.
Ice jams occur when chunks of floating ice accumulate near bridges and other narrow stretches of a river.
Dixon says it’s unclear whether the Kenai River ice jam will break up anytime soon.
“As long as the temperatures stay cold, it’s very possible and maybe even the most likely scenario that the whole thing just starts to freeze into one big solid mass. If that happens, it’s possible we may be thinking about this and talking about this for weeks or even months to come,” he said.
If the blockage suddenly releases, flash flooding could occur downstream.
The National Weather Service recommends residents upstream and downstream of the Sterling Highway Bridge secure all property near the riverbank.