Ice locks up bayside creeks, Tangier and Smith Island

The bayside of the Eastern Shore remained virtually locked down after three weeks of well below-normal temperatures caused ice to close bayside creeks and surround Tangier and Smith Islands. The icy conditions brought the oyster industry to a halt, making it impossible for boats to leave port.

On Saturday, a strong cold front moved through, with temperatures staying in the mid-20s throughout the day and wind gusts reaching up to 50 mph. Wind chills hovered around 10 degrees. Power outages were reported across both counties.

Both Tangier and Smith Islands remained ice-locked, preventing boats from delivering supplies to the islands.  Former Tangier School principal Denny Crockett noted that this experience is not that unusual on the Bay saying that even though there have been several above average winters recently, “We’ve been here many times before.”

Parents are urged to closely monitor children who have access to frozen waterways. No matter how long temperatures remain below freezing, ice is never safe to walk on—whether on irrigation ponds or saltwater creeks.

On a positive note, long-term forecasts indicate warmer temperatures by midweek, which should help break up the ice jams.