ice jam

noun

1. an obstruction of broken river ice in a narrow part of a channel.

2. a mass of lake or sea ice broken and piled up against the shore by wind pressure.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ice jam¹

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

While the temperature upswing was welcome news for many who had grown weary of the cold weather, Greg Carbin, chief of forecast operations at the Weather Prediction Center, said such a change in weather can cause problems, such as potholes and ice jam flooding, when ice breaks loose, then gets trapped and piles up, creating a temporary dam.

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Ice jam warnings were issued in Wyoming and Montana, where the bitter cold could cause rivers and streams to lock up with ice and overflow their banks.

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In Crooked Creek, most residents in the village of about 90 people evacuated to the school, which is on higher ground, as an ice jam on the Kuskokwim River caused rapid flooding late Saturday and into Sunday, Zidek said.

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Two families in the community of about 500 people on the state’s northwest coast have moved in with other family members or friends, but the community has not yet decided to open a shelter, hoping the ice jam would soon break, he said.

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National Weather Service and local officials anticipate the water levels will stay high and fluctuate a little until the ice jam breaks, said Jeremy Zidek, a spokesman for the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

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