Great Lakes ice coverage increases sharply. Which lake has most ice

After a latest blast of Arctic air, Michigan’s Nice Lakes noticed a big enhance in ice because the lakes reached their highest protection for the 2025-2026 season.

On Sunday, January 4, Nice Lake researchers reported a complete ice cowl of 15.77%, the very best share of the season beginning round December 1, 2025. Though the ice is getting thicker, no ice is protected to face on alongside the shorelines, particularly as temperatures are anticipated to steadily rise. warm this week.

A few of the has the thickest ice fashioned within the inside Saginaw Bay space, which is being thought-about quick ice cream – that means the ice is anchored to the coast. Maps present ice masking a lot of the bay at 6 to 12 inches.

Ice has additionally expanded on the northern shoreline of Lake Michigan, the southern shore of the Higher Peninsula, Inexperienced Bay in Wisconsin, and the shoreline of Lake Huron in Ontario, Canada. Some areas even have ice from 6 to 12 inches, together with the Mackinac Straits.

Two bays on the Canadian facet of Lake Superior have ice that’s 30 to 70 centimeters thick.

Wanting forward, Lake Superior is anticipated to expertise above-normal ice situations this winter. Lake Ontario is forecast to see barely under regular ice; and Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair are anticipated to see near-normal ice, in accordance with the North American Ice Service’s seasonal outlookissued on December 1.

Final season, the Nice Lakes skilled near-normal ice ranges after which recovered historic winter low in 2023-2024. Lake Erie recorded the very best protection in 2024-25, reaching 95.8% (which is typical as a result of it’s the shallowest of the Nice Lakes) and Lake Superior had the second most protection at its peak, 71.1%.

Because the 2025-2026 ice season continues, researchers will monitor ice charges day by day.

To observe progress, the American National Ice Center to tell ice charts each Tuesday and Wednesday.

Right here is extra historic ice information on Michigan’s Nice Lakes:

How icy are Michigan’s Nice Lakes?

Nice Lake researchers reported 15.77% protection on Sunday, January 4, in accordance with the Biweekly updates from the US National Ice Center.

A few of the thickest ice is 6-12 inches in components of northern Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Erie.

Two bays in northern Lake Superior have ice 12 inches or extra thick.

Are the Nice Lakes freezing utterly?

Sure. Though it’s uncommon for the whole lake system to freeze, ice cowl can nonetheless attain 90% or extra.

In accordance with GLERL information, two lakes have utterly frozen: Lake Superior in 1973 and 1996; and Lake Erie in 1978, 1979 and 1996.

Lake Superior practically froze over – with 92-96% ice cowl – throughout the 2013-2014 ice season, in accordance with History of Northern Michigan.

When do the Nice Lakes have essentially the most ice?

Most ice cowl happens later within the winter season. Within the decrease lakes, peak ice is seen from mid-February to late February; and for the higher lakes it’s from late February to early March in accordance with the GLERL.

The generally the highest percentage Ice protection of all Nice Lakes occurred in 1979, once they had been 94.7% lined, in accordance with NOAA.

• Lake Superior frozen as soon as since 1973in accordance with NOAA. The lake had 100% ice cowl in 1996.
• Ice cowl in Lake Michigan was 93.2% in 2014.
• Lake Huron had 98.2% ice cowl in 1996.
• Lake Erie froze utterly in 1978, 1979 and 1996.
• Lake Ontario had an ice cowl of 86.2% in 1979.

Extra: Icicles hanging in your house? Why that is a nasty factor

When does ice type on common on Michigan’s Nice Lakes?

In accordance with the NOAA’s GLERLright here is information for 2025:

Extra Michigan

• Earliest date for 2025: December 2
• Deadline for 2025: April 14
• Peak ice cowl date 2025: February 21 at 33.5%

Lake Huron

• Earliest date for 2025: December 2
• Deadline for 2025: Could 8
• Peak date of ice cowl 2025: February 21 at 71.1%

Extra Superior

• Earliest date for 2025: December 2
• Deadline for 2025: Could 11
• Peak ice cowl date 2025: February 21 with 45.6%

Lake Erie

• Deadline for 2025: April 22
• Peak ice cowl date 2025: February 20 at 95.8%

Lake Ontario

• Earliest date for 2025: December 6
• Deadline for 2025: April 19
• Peak ice cowl date 2025: February 20 with 26.1%

Which Nice Lake will get essentially the most ice in winter?

Traditionally, Lake Erie freezes and thaws the quickest because of its shallow depth, the shallowest of the Nice Lakes.

The typical depth of Lake Erie is a most of about 18 meters (62 ft), a most of 210 ft – with a shoreline of 1,300 kilometers, the Great Lakes Commission stated.

Listed below are the opposite common depths for the Nice Lakes, from deepest to shallowest US Environmental Protection Agency:

• Lake Superior: common depth of 483 ft, most depth at 1,332 ft.
• Lake Michigan: common depth of 279 ft, most 925 ft.
• Lake Ontario: common depth of 283 ft, most depth at 252 ft.
• Lake Huron: common depth of 200 ft and most about 750 ft.

How chilly do the Nice Lakes get?

In accordance with seatemperatures.com, Lake Superior is the coldest of the lakes year-round. As of December 29, the lakes are chilly sufficient to trigger hypothermia inside minutes:

Contact Sarah Moore @ smoore@lsj.com