Ohio River Freezes For The First Time Since 1978
The Ohio River Is Starting to Freeze — and That Almost Never Happens
If you’ve glanced toward the river in downtown Evansville lately and thought, “Wait… is that ice?” you’re not imagining things.
The Ohio River at Dress Plaza is beginning to freeze over, and I'm new to this but apparently that’s a very rare sight around here. In fact, the last time the river completely froze over in Evansville was back in 1978. That’s nearly five decades ago, which makes this cold snap one for the history books.
According to the Evansville / Vanderburgh County Emergency Management Agency, the icy images are coming straight from their downtown EMA tower cam. It’s a reminder of just how intense this stretch of winter weather has been.
Why Is This Happening? Extreme Cold
An Extreme Cold Warning remains in effect, with wind chills hovering between -10 and -20 degrees. That kind of cold doesn’t just make you regret stepping outside it’s cold enough to slow the river itself.
There is a bit of good news: temperatures are expected to moderate slightly today into Wednesday. Some areas could see a chance of climbing above freezing, but it won’t last long.
More Arctic Air Is on the Way
Another Arctic blast is forecast for Friday into the weekend, and it could be just as brutal. Forecasters say there’s a 50–90% chance of subzero wind chills Friday morning, with a strong possibility of wind chills dipping below -10 degrees Saturday morning. The silver lining? No significant snow or ice is expected with this system.
Bottom Line
Seeing the Ohio River start to freeze is a powerful reminder of how serious this cold spell is. It’s fascinating but also dangerous. Officials urge everyone to bundle up, limit time outdoors, and take precautions to stay safe. Something I always engraved in my mind, if you want to play on an icy body of water... ask officials first before you try it.
So yes, it’s cool (literally and historically)… just make sure you’re staying warm while you take it in.
Biggest snowfalls recorded in Illinois history
Gallery Credit: Stacker
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