So with the extended forecast showing daily highs is the upper 50’s and 60’s and lows in the upper 30’s and 40’s. How quickly does everyone think things will go? I am amazed how much snow we already lost, just from the sun. I am still holding out hope that we’ll be on open water by the first week in May.
Around 2 weeks until open water would be my guess. Lot of ice out there still!
For comparison’s sake I looked at ice out dates for 2013. The DNR had the metro lakes (Calhoun, Harriet, etc) out at Apr 28th. That same spring I documented the local lake in Hudson being “ice free” on Apr 26th. I think the definition of ice out however refers to navigability which may not be completely ice free.
So far for 2018 the local lake in Hudson is mostly open and would definitely meet the navigability requirement. It’s actually been partially open except for skim ice on the colder days since Mar 31st. I’m thinking things will be within a few days of 2013.
It all depends on how much melt happened before the last snow storm. The snow put a stop to the solar melt.
I agree with the 2 week estimate. But that’s after it starts to melt. Larger deeper lakes 3-4 weeks.
I saw a report today showing 23 inches of ice on prior lake plus however much snow is left.
Does this lake in Hudson have current or springs?
Last I heard there wasn’t a single lake in Minnesota ice free yet.
Green Lake near Wilmar had 29″ of solid ice as of a few days ago, that’s where the Governor’s opener is supposed to be…The backup lake is a small aerated lake a few minutes away…
I saw a report today showing 23 inches of ice on prior lake plus however much snow is left.
Does this lake in Hudson have current or springs?
Last I heard there wasn’t a single lake in Minnesota ice free yet.
Correct. It’s a dam on the Willow River so I believe it has both. What I’ve noticed the past handful of years is once ice is completely off in Hudson the Metro Lakes open up within a few days. I doubt they are ice free however. The St. Croix is starting to open up some water as well. If I were to guess we may start seeing things start to open up in the Metro starting mid next week.
2013 was May 2 for us on my lake in Wright County. Measured the ice yesterday, 8 holes all 26 inches and only a couple of inches on top that were not good and hard. Snow is pretty much gone off the surface today so hopefully will start melting fast. We really need some warm rains and warm days with wind. !!
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