With mild temperatures and rainfall forecast for the weekend, officials with the Grand River Conservation Authority are warning residents of potential problems along the Grand River.

Specifically, raised water levels and potential ice jams are expected, says GRCA spokesperson Dave Schultz.

Mild temperatures on the weekend, potentially as high as 11 degrees Celsius, will likely melt much of the snow currently on the ground. The water from that melted snow will then trickle into the river system and cause water levels to rise.

In areas of the river that are currently covered in ice, water runoff could also cause ice to break up and shift, creating the potential for ice jams, says Schultz.

Schultz says rivers will become unsafe over then ext few days. Banks adjacent to rivers and creeks are already very slippery.

The GRCA is encouraging people to keep children and pets away from watercourses and off of frozen water bodies until conditions stabilize.