Lake Michigan ice cover growing

 

Be sure to get up to Lake Michigan in the next few weeks to check out some cool ice dunes! You can actually see them on this EarthCam photo.

Credit: EarthCam

These mounds of ice can grow pretty large! The smallest are 6 feet tall, but the largest can be much more. They form will slab of ice washes ashore, that's the base. Overtime, freezing spray from crashing waves and snow fall help solidify and grow the ice dune until it's a big chunk of ice! But, it's important to note that you shouldn't try to walk or stand on these ice dunes! They can be weakened from the bottom by slightly warmer water and become hollow and breakable. You don't want to fall in and become trapped. 

And you should have plenty of time to come view the ice dunes because Lake Michigan ice is not going anywhere. In fact, it's going to be growing over the next couple of weeks. Right now, the entire lake is about 40% covered in ice, with the most, obviously, well to our north.

With the incoming winter blast, that ice will be growing to maybe 50% of the lake before we, hopefully, warm up and start melting some of the ice.