Ice Forms on Ohio River as Louisville Endures Bitter Cold

The Ohio River froze along its banks as temperatures plunged across the Louisville metro area during a deep freeze in late January 2026.

It was a frigid start to February, with temperatures dropping to 0 degrees in parts of the region after a full week of below-freezing conditions. Nighttime lows dipped into the single digits, allowing large sheets of ice to form and drift along the river.

Barges were still seen navigating the icy Ohio River between Louisville, Kentucky, and Jeffersonville, Indiana, pushing through floating ice as frozen patches clung to the shoreline. In downtown Louisville, ice lined the Kentucky side of the river near landmarks such as the Big Four Bridge, while cracking ice could be heard along the Southern Indiana riverbanks.

Despite the harsh conditions, wildlife appeared largely unfazed. Ducks gathered in open stretches of water near Louisville, swimming in areas where the river had not completely frozen over.

The icy conditions also drew curious onlookers to riverfront locations such as Duffy’s Landing in Jeffersonville, where residents watched ice floes drift downstream.

While parts of the Ohio River froze during this cold snap, significant freezes are rare. The river last froze over extensively in January 1977, when temperatures dropped to minus 25 degrees and ice reached up to 12 inches thick in some areas.

Cold weather continued to grip the region into early February, with ice remaining visible along the riverbanks as temperatures slowly began to moderate.