Rising temperatures raise ice jam risk in eastern Nebraska

The rapid warmup forecast starting today will likely lift some spirits and give people a break on their heating bills, but it’s also raising the risk of ice jams on rivers in eastern Nebraska.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for more than a dozen counties stretching from Sarpy to Antelope because of the risk of flooding due to ice jams.

The flood watch began Thursday morning and is scheduled to remain in effect through the weekend and into Monday, as temperatures in eastern Nebraska are forecast to be in the 50s and 60s for the next several days. It covers the Platte, Loup and Elkhorn rivers.

The rapid rise in temperatures, after a prolonged period with temperatures well below freezing, “suggest breakup and movement of river ice is imminent,” the National Weather Service’s Omaha office said in a social media post.

It warned people who live in low-lying areas along those rivers to “remain vigilant for the potential for rapidly rising water.