Volunteer River Ice Spotter Network

The National Weather Service (NWS) Chicago/Rockford, IL, office uses information from volunteer spotters along area rivers to monitor the development of river ice which may lead to flooding. Ice jams are often localized and may occur away from river gauges. River ice spotters share important information such as extent of ice cover, ice cover trends, and location of ice jams which is very important for issuing timely warnings.

River ice can be a serious problem during some winters. Chronic ice jam locations on the Rock, Fox, and Kankakee Rivers have up to a 1-in-2 chance of experiencing an ice jam in any given year, and almost a 1-in-3 chance of experiencing ice jam flooding in a given year.

Qualifications

No special qualifications are required other than living near the river and a willingness to report river and ice conditions.

Reporting Ice Observations

A Google form is used to enter routine reports. For time-sensitive information such as ice jam formation, ice jam break-up, or flooding, we provide a non-public number to call. Reports are requested from all spotters at the same time - weekly on Monday from December through March. Reports are requested by 9AM. Reports may also be sent at other times especially when changes are observed in river ice.

How to Volunteer

For more information, contact the NWS Chicago office.

Email: nws.chicago@noaa.gov
Phone: 815-834-1435 or 815-963-5913

Reference/Training Materials

River Ice Guide

River Ice Spotter Training

Most Recent Weekly River Ice Summary