Ice seen slowing barge traffic in US Midwest rivers

[CHICAGO] A US Midwest cold snap is likely to increase ice buildup on the Mississippi and Illinois rivers this week, adding to recent headaches for barge lines already dealing with low water on the critical grain shipping waterways, industry sources said on Tuesday.

Temperatures were in the single-digits to the teens Fahrenheit (around 9-15 degrees below 0°C) across the central Corn Belt on Tuesday morning.

A moderate warmup was expected later this week, forecasters said, before temperatures again plunge to below-normal levels next week.