PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 5, 2026
While the risk of flooding from snowmelt and rain adding to Maine’s rivers is low this year, the potential for flooding caused by ice jams is up, due to very thick ice on rivers such as the Kennebec and Androscoggin. The Maine River Flow Advisory Commission met Thursday to review ice conditions, stream flow and snowpack levels, the spring weather outlook, drought conditions, and flood risks across the state. Even if an upcoming warm spell melts a significant amount of the snowpack, places that trap and store water, like groundwater, wetlands, and other areas, have plenty of capacity to take it on without causing flooding. However, the ice still on most Maine rivers presents a substantially higher risk than normal of ice jams forming; those jams can block off river flow and cause rapid and damaging flooding.