Expires:200812261049;;400488
FGUS81 KGYX 252249
RVSGYX

NHZ001>003-005-007-MEZ021-261049-
HYDROLOGIC STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAY ME
549 PM EST THU DEC 25 2008
...ICE JAMS CAUSING ELEVATED WATER LEVELS ON THE AMMONOOSUC RIVER AT
BATH...THE SUGAR RIVER AT WEST CLAREMONT...AND THE KENNEBEC RIVER AT
AUGUSTA...
AT 530 PM BATH EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS REPORT THAT THE
AMMONOOSUC RIVER HAS PRODUCED SOME MINOR FLOODING OF A ROAD AND
FIELDS...WHICH IS LIKELY DUE TO AN ICE JAM BETWEEN BATH AND
WOODSVILLE.  
ALSO...THE STAGE ON THE KENNEBEC RIVER AT AUGUSTA WAS 11.1 FEET
AND HOLDING NEARLY STEADY. FLOOD STAGE IS 12 FEET. AN ICE JAM IS
LOCATED BETWEEN THE ROUTE 3 BRIDGE AND THE MEMORIAL BRIDGE.
THE STAGE ON THE SUGAR RIVER AT WEST CLAREMONT WAS 5.5 FEET. THE
RIVER HAS BEEN STEADY THROUGHOUT THE DAY. FLOOD STAGE IS 7.0 FEET. 
TEMPERATURES ARE FALLING BELOW FREEZING THIS EVENING AND WILL DROP
IN THE TEENS AND SINGLE DIGITS OVERNIGHT. THIS WILL END ANY MELTING
OR MOVEMENT OF ICE ON THE RIVERS, BUT MAY ALSO CAUSE MORE
ICE TO FORM AND JAM UP. THIS COULD LEAD TO SOME RISES ON THE RIVER
UPSTREAM OF THE ICE JAM OVERNIGHT. PEOPLE WITH INTERESTS ALONG THESE
RIVERS SHOULD MONITOR WATER LEVELS CLOSELY.
THE MOVEMENT AND FORMATION OF ICE JAMS CAN BE VERY DIFFICULT TO
FORECAST...RISES AND FALLS CAN OCCUR VERY QUICKLY. FLOODING CAN OCCUR
QUICKLY BEHIND ICE JAMS...OR DOWNSTREAM IF THE ICE JAM LETS LOOSE AND
RELEASES THE BACKED UP WATER. PEOPLE ALONG THE KENNEBEC AND SUGAR
RIVERS SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF FLOODING DUE ICE
JAMS.