Ice on Lake Michigan falls to historic low

 

Typically, the month of February is prime ice season on Lake Michigan. However, thanks to Michiana's recent winter "heat wave," ice is historically hard to come by.

Ice cover on Lake Michigan is below 3% for the first time since records began in the early 1970s. 

Lake Michigan is not alone, however. According to the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Lake Superior and Lake Huron are also at historic lows. Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are tied with their historic lows and are "essentially ice-free."

We've seen a steady decrease in #GreatLakes ice cover in recent weeks & we are now at a historic low for mid-Feb. Current GL ice cover is at less than 3%!

Lakes Superior, Michigan & Huron are all at historic lows; Erie & Ontario are tied w/ historic lows. https://t.co/YrIG39u7qE pic.twitter.com/QylnRtQXI1

— NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (@NOAA_GLERL) February 13, 2024

According to Climate Central, this is part of a troubling trend in Great Lakes ice cover. On Lake Michigan specifically, the time with at least five percent ice cover has decreased by more than three weeks in the last 50 years. Additionally, peak ice cover on Lake Michigan has dropped more than 15 percent over the same timeframe. 

Climate Central