So you think it's cold now? Just imagine icebergs floating down the river through the middle of King's Lynn.

Eastern Daily Press: Long serving ferryman, Reg Hare, negotiates the ice floes on the Great Ouse as he brings the West Lynn ferry into the King's Lynn jetty in January 1979.Long serving ferryman, Reg Hare, negotiates the ice floes on the Great Ouse as he brings the West Lynn ferry into the King's Lynn jetty in January 1979. (Image: Archant)

Prolonged cold snaps early in 1979 and 1981 saw ice floes form upstream of the town.

Reg Hare, Lynn's long-serving ferryman, had to carefully pick his way through them as they came down on the outgoing tide.

The tidal Ouse doesn't freeze because of its constantly-changing water levels.

But the river upstream of Denver Sluice can ice over, along with its main tributaries the Wissey, Little Ouse and Lark.

Eastern Daily Press: est Lynn ferry negotiates ice on the Great Ouse as it appropaches the Lynn jetty in January 1979.est Lynn ferry negotiates ice on the Great Ouse as it appropaches the Lynn jetty in January 1979. (Image: Archant)

Reporting on the ice in 1979, the EDP of the time noted that it was the first time floes had been sighted on the river in Lynn since the winter of 1962 - 63.

The phenmomenon is unlikely to occur again this year, as temperatures are expected to start creeping back above freezing again by the end of the week.

Eastern Daily Press: The winter of 1978-79 produced a sight not seen since that 1962-63 winter, ice floes in the River Ouse.The winter of 1978-79 produced a sight not seen since that 1962-63 winter, ice floes in the River Ouse. (Image: Archant)

Eastern Daily Press: Icebergs are unlilkely to be seen on the Ouse this winter. Picture: Ian BurtIcebergs are unlilkely to be seen on the Ouse this winter. Picture: Ian Burt (Image: Archant © 2011)