It melts. The air warms up to early spring temperatures. Ice breaks free on the river and floats down. Then it freezes again, and then more snow comes. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
I saw a documentary - rather, home movies narrated by the subject - of the Inwood area in the 1930s, shown up at Indian Road Cafe. The focus was on Tubby Hook and Inwood, demonstrating an active waterfront, and footage of the George Washington Bridge being built.
The film included footage of the Hudson, with massive chunks of ice flowing down - even large enough for men to paddle to in a canoe and climb out on, like some Gold Rush cartoon. Decades later, we see much the same.
