FREMONT, Neb. (KMTV) — With temperatures running 18-20 degrees above the seasonal average, the ice jam on the Platte River near Fremont is starting to melt.
"That is leading to some concerns with ice on the rivers, potential break up there and possible flooding," said Brett Albright, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Omaha office. "Right now the channels have been reported as open so we don't have ice jams right now but the risk is there.
The ice jam is still prevalent on parts of the river near Fremont. Albright said ice jams are fairly common on the Platte River near Dodge County during this time of the year.
"The ice jams we've had this year have all occurred in routine spots where the river narrows," Albright said.
However, the warm weather is not all good news for those worried about ice jams. The hotter temperatures could create more flooding on the Platte River.
"As temperatures warm the ice weakens and it starts to break up in to chunks," Albright said. "Those chunks flow down and they can get stuck. When that happens we end up with an ice jam and we see localized flooding."
The ice jam may be melting Saturday, but as temperatures drop this upcoming week, the threat of potential flooding remains a risk.
"As long as the ice is there and as long as it's upstream we're going to have that risk until the ice is melted," Albright said.
Dodge County officials were also in Fremont to repair roads flooded over the past week. 3 News Now witnessed crews repairing County Road 19 near the Platte River in Fremont.
Officials warn people not to stop on bridges or highways to look at ice jams and to not go past barriers to check out water levels.
Watch reporter Phil Bergman's story in the above video.
