<p>I suspect that rather than an ice jam as suggested in the comments, that this was a consequence of sustained high winds that happened to be blowing in just the right direction, thereby blowing the waters away from the side of the bay to which the inlet / bayou / saltwater river is connected.</p>

<p>Negative storm surge can drain shallow bays, sometimes dropping sea level by several feet. This happened, for example, along the west coast of Florida prior to Hurricane Irma. (That negative storm surge became a positive storm surge when the winds shifted direction.) This happens with great regularity where I live. The bayous later today and tomorrow will be very, very low due to a cold front that is pushing through right now.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-20T15:22:07.820Z
Hi.  My neighbor,  Who has lived here overlooking the river for over 20 years, came up with what I believe is a plausible and logical explanation for the phenomenon. He says that what we are looking at is an optical illusion. It would appear that the bottom of the river looks like it is being exposed. He maintains that during the freeze and thaw that occurred a couple of weeks ago, the sea weed and sediment from the bottom rose to the surface and is giving the appearance of seeing the bottom!  I see water flowing but part of river is still frozen and still looks like bottom of river exposed!
Deljeanne
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-16T13:40:34.417Z
2018-01-16T13:40:34.417Z
David Hammen
<p>We live in a house overlooking a salt water river. We overlook a cove. The river feeds into Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island. In the 17 years we have lived here, the river has frozen several times. </p>

<p>In early January of this year there were record breaking low temps which were below zero in our area. The river froze solid for a couple weeks. A couple of days ago we had record breaking WARM temps with steady rainfall. The morning after the rain storm we noticed that the bottom of the river was exposed but no water flow.</p>

<p>This is alarming to me because we've never seen anything like this to this extent where it has stayed without the river flowing into the cove for several days. I searched the web and found this site. Hoping someone can come up with an answer! Thank you.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-15T17:02:03.647Z
Welcome to EarthScience.SE. Could you specify what you mean with "bottom of the river was exposed"?
daniel.heydebreck
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-15T17:23:29.537Z
We could see the bottom of the river.  It's almost like the tide has gone out,but hasn't come back!
Deljeanne
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-15T17:24:15.453Z
Could it be an ice dam,farther up the river?
Deljeanne
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-15T17:38:30.113Z
it might be the result of high air pressure combined with low tide,or a low pressure system offshore pulling the water away from where you are.
trond hansen
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-16T12:22:58.433Z
Sounds to me like just maybe it could indeed be related to an ice jam blocking\diverting the river, though certainly not sure.  However, if so, this could actually be a danger.  So please be paying attention to media information just in case...
JeopardyTempest
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-16T12:23:29.187Z
Perhaps it is just be frozen more solid than you are used to (http://turnto10.com/news/local/frozen-rivers-ponds-create-possibility-for-ice-jams may be pertinent?).  But this video shows what an ice jam can do http://www.wcvb.com/article/watch-how-fast-an-ice-jam-floods-this-river/15147644 shows how things can change.  You see a lot of water suddenly released.  Looking at reports of the many ice jam troubles this week, it seems more often it's a partial blockage on large waterways than anything full.  Perhaps on a smaller local waterway, it just might be possible? ...
JeopardyTempest
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-16T12:25:06.413Z
Seems maybe the most dangerous conditions to create ice jams is passing right now with temperatures cooling back off, but NWS Boston (http://www.weather.gov/box/) notes "colder weather will persist across the river basins through midweek ... along with continued ice jams on some of the rivers." There are still flood warnings on some rivers. More information like pictures and/or the specific river you're by may help us give better answers
JeopardyTempest
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-16T12:25:26.930Z
Honestly many answers may be hypothesis more than fact, as I think ice jams may not be something too many meteorologists deal with often enough, at least in the US (especially not ones like me down in Florida)! Doesn't look like too many rivers around Providence have gauges, so we may not know when smaller rivers are jammed.
JeopardyTempest
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-16T12:27:40.887Z
But for theories, I tend to doubt it was the low pressure itself that moved the water causing what you describe. Wind (responsible for the majority of surge movement, not pressure) could definitely have temporarily moved water with the large winds you had last week (see 
https://scied.ucar.edu/what-causes-storm-surge for a similar hurricane example)... but I've only heard of it in flat bays, not rivers themselves, and only lasting a short period, whereas that storm has long since moved on and winds shifted.
JeopardyTempest
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-16T12:28:07.390Z
But would be interested to hear any more info you have of when it was, and perhaps a picture if you can safely take one, and perhaps turn the previous set of loose comments into a more complete answer.
JeopardyTempest
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-16T14:26:34.530Z
@JeopardyTempest, and others -- This is a saltwater river, meaning its level typically is dictated by the level of the water in Narragansett Bay rather than by what happens upstream. If there was an ice jam upstream, it would simply mean the river would get even saltier as saltwater from the bay flowed into the river. The level wouldn't change much unless the level in the bay itself dropped. An ice jam downstream would mean the river is disconnected from the bay, enabling rainwaters to pile up. The river would flood in this case. In my opinion, an ice jam does not explain this phenomenon.
David Hammen
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-16T16:07:50.600Z
You got me there, I should have considered that further.  I guess I do not have enough background with such regions, and too quickly assumed it wasn't important or wasn't really salty.  If someone else reading is on freshwater, perhaps it's useful still?  But indeed, perhaps is a slightly extended duration wind removal event!
JeopardyTempest
<oceanography>
Saltwater River Freeze and Thaw
Deljeanne
# Saltwater River Freeze and Thaw

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-01-15)

We live in a house overlooking a salt water river. We overlook a cove. The river feeds into Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island. In the 17 years we have lived here, the river has frozen several times.

In early January of this year there were record breaking low temps which were below zero in our area. The river froze solid for a couple weeks. A couple of days ago we had record breaking WARM temps with steady rainfall. The morning after the rain storm we noticed that the bottom of the river was exposed but no water flow.

This is alarming to me because we've never seen anything like this to this extent where it has stayed without the river flowing into the cove for several days. I searched the web and found this site. Hoping someone can come up with an answer! Thank you.

**Tags:** oceanography

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Welcome to EarthScience.SE. Could you specify what you mean with "bottom of the river was exposed"?  
> **username_0**: We could see the bottom of the river.  It's almost like the tide has gone out,but hasn't come back!  
> **username_0**: Could it be an ice dam,farther up the river?  
> **username_2**: it might be the result of high air pressure combined with low tide,or a low pressure system offshore pulling the water away from where you are.  
> **username_3**: Sounds to me like just maybe it could indeed be related to an ice jam blocking\diverting the river, though certainly not sure.  However, if so, this could actually be a danger.  So please be paying attention to media information just in case...  
> **username_3**: Perhaps it is just be frozen more solid than you are used to (http://turnto10.com/news/local/frozen-rivers-ponds-create-possibility-for-ice-jams may be pertinent?).  But this video shows what an ice jam can do http://www.wcvb.com/article/watch-how-fast-an-ice-jam-floods-this-river/15147644 shows how things can change.  You see a lot of water suddenly released.  Looking at reports of the many ice jam troubles this week, it seems more often it's a partial blockage on large waterways than anything full.  Perhaps on a smaller local waterway, it just might be possible? ...  
> **username_3**: Seems maybe the most dangerous conditions to create ice jams is passing right now with temperatures cooling back off, but NWS Boston (http://www.weather.gov/box/) notes "colder weather will persist across the river basins through midweek ... along with continued ice jams on some of the rivers." There are still flood warnings on some rivers. More information like pictures and/or the specific river you're by may help us give better answers  
> **username_3**: Honestly many answers may be hypothesis more than fact, as I think ice jams may not be something too many meteorologists deal with often enough, at least in the US (especially not ones like me down in Florida)! Doesn't look like too many rivers around Providence have gauges, so we may not know when smaller rivers are jammed.  
> **username_3**: But for theories, I tend to doubt it was the low pressure itself that moved the water causing what you describe. Wind (responsible for the majority of surge movement, not pressure) could definitely have temporarily moved water with the large winds you had last week (see  https://scied.ucar.edu/what-causes-storm-surge for a similar hurricane example)... but I've only heard of it in flat bays, not rivers themselves, and only lasting a short period, whereas that storm has long since moved on and winds shifted.  
> **username_3**: But would be interested to hear any more info you have of when it was, and perhaps a picture if you can safely take one, and perhaps turn the previous set of loose comments into a more complete answer.  
> **username_4**: @username_3, and others -- This is a saltwater river, meaning its level typically is dictated by the level of the water in Narragansett Bay rather than by what happens upstream. If there was an ice jam upstream, it would simply mean the river would get even saltier as saltwater from the bay flowed into the river. The level wouldn't change much unless the level in the bay itself dropped. An ice jam downstream would mean the river is disconnected from the bay, enabling rainwaters to pile up. The river would flood in this case. In my opinion, an ice jam does not explain this phenomenon.  
> **username_3**: You got me there, I should have considered that further.  I guess I do not have enough background with such regions, and too quickly assumed it wasn't important or wasn't really salty.  If someone else reading is on freshwater, perhaps it's useful still?  But indeed, perhaps is a slightly extended duration wind removal event!  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2018-01-16. Score: 1

I suspect that rather than an ice jam as suggested in the comments, that this was a consequence of sustained high winds that happened to be blowing in just the right direction, thereby blowing the waters away from the side of the bay to which the inlet / bayou / saltwater river is connected.

Negative storm surge can drain shallow bays, sometimes dropping sea level by several feet. This happened, for example, along the west coast of Florida prior to Hurricane Irma. (That negative storm surge became a positive storm surge when the winds shifted direction.) This happens with great regularity where I live. The bayous later today and tomorrow will be very, very low due to a cold front that is pushing through right now.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Hi.  My neighbor,  Who has lived here overlooking the river for over 20 years, came up with what I believe is a plausible and logical explanation for the phenomenon. He says that what we are looking at is an optical illusion. It would appear that the bottom of the river looks like it is being exposed. He maintains that during the freeze and thaw that occurred a couple of weeks ago, the sea weed and sediment from the bottom rose to the surface and is giving the appearance of seeing the bottom!  I see water flowing but part of river is still frozen and still looks like bottom of river exposed!  

---

