A completely frozen-over Ohio River is a rare sight in the Louisville area. In fact, it has not happened since 1978.
Ice and fog have formed over the Ohio in the 21st century, but Louisville most often lacks the prolonged cold needed for the river to be covered in an icy sheet. As a large waterway, the Ohio is difficult to freeze because any moving water creates friction and heats the surface. Louisville experienced around three weeks of sub-freezing temperatures in the winter of 1977, a chill long enough to blanket the river in ice.
Residents rang in a new year with ice covering Louisville’s riverfront. Dec. 30, 1935 marked the sixth consecutive day temperatures had remained below freezing, resulting in more than a half-inch of ice on the Ohio, The Courier Journal reported. The freeze halted barge traffic along the river…