Ice-in / Ice-out

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Maine’s lakes are clear in no small part due to the fact that historically they have been covered with ice and snow for significant parts of the year. A short ice season can portend other problems in the lake. Checking for ice in / ice out is easy; it does require that the observer be a year round resident (or an unusually dedicated seasonal resident).

Ice-in/ice-out dates are often reported to Lake Stewards of Maine. HERE is their description of ice-in/ice-out.

Lloyd Ireland, a distinguished lake scientist who has studied Maine lakes for his entire career, gave a fascinating presentation in 2020 about why ice dates are important for lakes, and what the changes in when the ice forms on the lakes heralds for our magnificent Maine lakes. See his presentation here.