Barges are piling up along the Ohio River after ice forced the suspension of operations at the Willow Island locks and dam.
The number of barges backed up on the Ohio River in Pleasants County has doubled after mechanical components at the Willow Island locks and dam froze on Jan. 28.
The Corps of Engineers has continued working to address the issue, which shut down river traffic south of St. Marys, West Virginia, and Newport, Ohio.
Veteran river captain Ray Chapman of Huntington said a slight warming trend could help, but warned the process will be slow.
“As long as you’re at 22 and below, you’re growing ice, and then from 22 degrees and just a few degrees above that for just a couple of hours, without a whole lot of sunshine, you end up with not really having any ice drop,” Chapman said. “It doesn’t start melting.”
While interstates appeared to be in good shape on Monday, some back roads remained ice-covered and dangerously slick.
Longtime weather forecasters and groundhogs, French Creek Freddy—who claims a 60% accuracy rate—and Punxsutawney Phil—at 35%—both saw their shadows and predicted six more weeks of winter. Ravenswood’s Randy the River Rat, boasting a 75% accuracy rate, made the same call.
Storm Team 8 is forecasting more snow on Tuesday, with temperatures expected to hover near the freezing mark.