A section of the Mississippi River in Missouri froze solid during the recent bomb cyclone that gripped the U.S.
A picture taken by Dan Zarlenga, media specialist at the Missouri Department of Conservation, showed the frozen Mississippi River at sunset, from a point to the east of St. Charles County.
The picture was taken during Storm Elliot, a severe winter storm that raged over large swathes of the U.S. from December 21 to 26.
Sub-zero temperatures caused this part of the river to freeze into "one solid mass of ice floes," the Missouri Department of Conservation said in a Facebook post.
"The extreme cold spell in the St. Louis area lasted about 5 days, from December 22 to 26," Zarlenga told Newsweek. "I feel that while seeing a large number of ice floes is not too uncommon when temperatures drop in winter, I believe a large continuous mass as far as the eye can see is unusual."
The Mississippi River runs through ten states in total, including Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. It is the second-largest river in the U.S. and provides drinking water to around 20 million people. But recently, its water levels have declined.
While it's normal for parts of the river to freeze during cold weather, for such large distances to be frozen is unusual. This could be down to the reduced water levels.
Sarah Peper, a Missouri Department of Conservation Fisheries management biologist, told Newsweek: "[This] happens most winters for at least a little while—especially behind the dams. With the water levels so low, it is even more likely."
In October 2022, water levels became particularly low in the state when Tower Rock—an island in the middle of the Mississippi River in Perry County—became accessible by foot for the first time in living memory.
Water levels were so low people were able to walk to the island rather than take a boat as usual.
The low water levels have been put down to ongoing drought, leading to drier-than-usual conditions.
Some scientists have noted that in previous years, the river has actually produced record water flows, meaning this could just be a one-year issue.
The recent cold spell could have increased snowpack in the U.S., meaning water levels may rise.
Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about the Mississippi River? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.
Uncommon Knowledge
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