Ice covers much of the Ohio River near Manchester on February 1 during a prolonged period of subfreezing temperatures. The last time the river froze solid in this area was during the historic winter of 1977, when residents recall walking across the ice and barge traffic coming to a halt. (Photo by Ryan Applegate)

Ice covers much of the Ohio River near Manchester on February 1 during a prolonged period of subfreezing temperatures. The last time the river froze solid in this area was during the historic winter of 1977, when residents recall walking across the ice and barge traffic coming to a halt. (Photo by Ryan Applegate)

<p>Broken ice and frozen sheets cover the Ohio River near Manchester during an extended stretch of subfreezing temperatures. (Photo by Ryan Applegate)</p>

Broken ice and frozen sheets cover the Ohio River near Manchester during an extended stretch of subfreezing temperatures. (Photo by Ryan Applegate)

By Ryan Applegate

People’s Defender

The Ohio River near Manchester is taking on a winter look this week that many long-time residents have never seen before. Vast sheets of ice and swirling snow floes have formed on the surface, and while the river has not frozen solid from bank to bank, the amount of ice on the waterway has drawn attention and conversation throughout Adams County.

“We never thought the river would freeze,” said Tina Johnson, a former Manchester resident who now lives in Hillsboro. “Even as a teenager I knew that it was not normal for running water to freeze.” Johnson spoke about her memories of the last time the Ohio River froze solid in this region, a period that older residents still talk about almost 49 years later.

This week, the National Weather Service office in Wilmington is forecasting continued cold and snowy conditions that are likely to keep surface ice on the river in place for several more days. Updated forecasts show that Tuesday will likely bring snow, mainly before mid-afternoon with new snow accumulations of one to three inches possible in the region. After that, temperatures are expected to remain cold through the rest of the week with highs in the 20s and lows well below freezing for much of the area. Snow showers and light flurries may continue into Friday and Saturday under mostly cloudy skies, with daytime temperatures staying below or near the freezing mark. These conditions suggest that ice forming now along the river’s edges and in slower moving sections will linger as the calendar moves into midweek.

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