ESFGRR Bitterly cold temperatures moving into Michigan over the next few days will increase the risk of ice jams on rivers. While many locations have already frozen over, ongoing ice growth will continue to increase in any open water areas. These temperatures have not been seen for many years in West Michigan, which means that some areas that don't typically experience river ice jams may have issues this year. Ice jams can result in water levels rising much more quickly than usual, which can catch people off guard. Anyone living or working near rivers in West Michigan should prepare now for potential river ice and rising water levels. While temperatures warm up a bit early next week, this overall cold weather pattern will continue through at least next week, which will keep ice locked in place on the rivers. You can always find the latest river level information at water.noaa. gov