Saturday, April 25, 2009

When will the ice go out?

We are just waiting to hear 5 little words this time of year ..."The ice has gone out." It's a guessing game many in Ely, Minnesota like to participate in. If you were to walk around town you would probably over hear " So, when do you think the ice will go out?" "Not sure, should be any day now."

Those of us that enjoy paddling canoes and kayaks can't wait for the open water of spring. The melting of the lake ice is a welcome sight. Sure, we might have enjoyed a little ice fishing, cross country skiing or snowmobiling on the frozen lakes, but it is an exciting time of year to know that the summer sports are just around the corner.

Some our smaller lakes have already seen the last days of ice cover until next winter. Driving around yesterday we were able to see how dark the ice is getting on many lakes. Dark ice is a sure sign that it will not be much longer before the ice is out.

3 comments:

  1. I have a permit to enter the Boundary Waters through Snowbank on May 10th. Will the ice be out by then? wherb

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  2. Yes, it looks like the ice should be out on Snowbank by then. The US Forest Service should be sending up a float plan this next week to take a look at how the ice is doing across the BWCA.

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