HOW MUCH ICE CAN ACCUMULATE ON THE SUSQUEHANNA?

To gain a better picture of this question I used data from February 24, 1994 since I could not find factual information on 1904.

The extreme cold temperatures and continual snow and ice in the region caused a problem in Pennsylvania. The ice on the Susquehanna River averaged from 18 to 36 inches thick. The ice covered the entire surface of the river. According to Martha Decker with Emergency Management Coordinator for NE Pennsylvania there was no visible water from bank to bank. Forty miles of unbroken ice moved downstream without damaging bridges or structures. Just this data allowed me to gain a visual picture into the actual amount of ice that covered this area in 1994. It helps me to envision more clearly the events of 1904 when the frozen ice covered the river and then was drenched in rain and warm temperatures. It was definitely a disaster that our ancestors survived in a time when there was very little communication or a way to really plan ahead.