Great Lakes Ice – Len Bilén's blog, a blog about faith, politics and the environment.

The Great Lakes ice cover 91%, the most in 35 years! A Limerick.

The "vortex" has chilled the Great Lakes.
Keep shov'ling those "Climate Change" flakes!
For new records are set
Warmers losing their bet.
It's cold on our yearly "Spring Breaks".


The values for ice coverage on the Great Lakes as of Mar 4:

Lake Superior 95.2889%

Lake Michigan 92.4497%

Lake Huron 95.9375%

Lake Erie 95.8338%

Lake Ontario 31.9431%, the weighted average 91,0% (data from http://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/statistic/ice/ice_stat_2013_2014.txt )

The forecast from NOAA was for 58 to 62% maximum ice-cover for 2014. We are now at the greatest ice cover since 1979, the second highest value since accurate records are kept with a couple of cold nights left to go. The average for the last 40 years is an ice maximum of 51.4%. See fig:

There is still an arctic blast ongoing. Detroit had a new snow record for January. It will take a long time to melt all this ice and snow come spring. It takes 80 calories to melt one gram of ice, but only twenty to heat it from zero to 20 degrees C (68 F) . This may affect the length of the growing season.

Is is climate change, or only unusual weather?

Great Lakes Ice Cover now at 88%, the most since 1994. We are in a cooling trend.

The Great Lakes are freezing over at a rapid rate. These are the numbers for the ice cover as of Feb. 11 (Feb 12)

Lake Superior 95.2793% (94.5851%)

Lake Michigan 79.9828% (82.3368%)

Lake Huron 94.7123% (95.4659%)

Lake Erie 95.8686% (95.773%)

Lake Ontario 31.9431%, the weighted average 86.7% (88%) (data from http://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/statistic/ice/ice_stat_2013_2014.txt )

The forecast from NOAA was for 58 to 62% maximum ice-cover for 2014. We are already at the greatest ice cover since 1994 with a good part of the winter still left to go. The average for the last 40 years is an ice maximum of 51.4%. See fig:

Is is climate change, or only unusual weather?

The Great Lakes ice cover now at 77%, the most since 1996.

The Great Lakes are freezing over at a rapid rate. These are the numbers for the ice cover as of Feb. 4:

Lake Superior 91.6753%

Lake Michigan 56.3514%

Lake Huron 84.5919%

Lake Erie 92.6251%

Lake Ontario 30.7342%, the weighted average 76.93%

The forecast from NOAA was for 58 to 62% maximum ice-cover for 2014. We are already at the greatest ice cover since 1996 with a good part of the winter still left to go. The average for the last 40 years is an ice maximum of 51.4%. See fig:

Here is a picture of the ice cover for Feb 4. Brr, and arctic blasts keep coming!! It will take a long time to melt all this ice come spring. It takes 80 calories to melt one gram of ice, but only twenty to heat it from zero to 20 degrees C (68 F) so you can take a dip.

Updated as of Feb 11: https://lenbilen.com/2014/02/12/great-lakes-ice-cover-now-at-86-7-the-most-since-1994-we-are-in-a-cooling-trend/

More than 60% ice cover on the Great Lakes. And half the winter left!!!

The Great Lakes are freezing over at a rapid rate. These are the numbers for ice cover for Jan. 23:

Lake Superior 57.2062%

Lake Michigan 37.7962%

Lake Huron 75.7721%

Lake Erie 94.8880%

Lake Ontario 42.9223%, the weighted average 60.02%

The forecast from NOAA was for 58 to 62% maximum ice-cover for 2014. We are already there with half the winter yet to go. The average for the last 40 years is a max. of 51.4%. See fig:

Here is a picture of the ice cover for Jan 23. Brr, and a new, longer lasting arctic blast is under way!! It will take a long time to melt all this ice come spring. It takes 80 calories to melt one gram of ice, but only twenty to heat it from zero to 20 degrees C (68 F) so you can take a dip.