Ice Out conditions 2014

Superior National Forest Ice Update

 May 6, 2014 PM report

  

Current Ice Conditions: Remember, ice is never completely safe and now is a particularly dangerous time. 

Also, ice packs shift with winds so the exact location of an ice pack may change quickly. 

From Forest Service pilots--a seeding mission was flown today and this is the pilot’s report: 

· There is very little open water right now. 

· If we get a break in the weather, conditions may change very quickly—even as soon as this weekend. 

· Where there is current, ice is breaking up. 

· Much of Fall Lake is open and some portions of Pipestone Bay are open. 

· Smaller lakes and ponds are dark and are starting to break up. 

· Portions of Birch Lake are beginning to open up. 

· Most lakes east of Insula are pretty solidly ice-covered still. 

· The Little Indian Sioux and Nina Moose (aka Moose/Portage Rivers) Rivers are open but the lakes are mostly still frozen. 

Reports from others: 

· Much of the eastern end of Fall Lake is open. 

· The southern tip of Pipestone Bay was open to just north of Wegens Point two days ago. 

· The road into Mudro Lake is in very bad condition. Low clearance vehicles and two wheel drive 

vehicles will probably not make it. 

We are sending warm thoughts toward opening of fishing. 

May 15, 2013 USFS Ice Out Report

One More Ice Out Report.  Let's hope these end soon and we don't have to worry about ice until winter.

 

A strong crosswind grounded the fire patrol this afternoon. New information from observers:

• Disappointment is open.

• Parent Lake (near Snowbank) is iced. Snowbank is still iced in.

• Rice and August Lake are open.

• Vermilion Lake was iced in yesterday.

• Big Lake was reported open yesterday, but southerly winds pushed the ice pack to the northern half today.

• The North Arm of Burntside is still frozen. The East Arm is full of dark ice.

This information is from Monday’s flight:

• Moose Lake: southwestern third is open; northeastern two thirds frozen but dark ice.

• S. Kawishiwi R. and Gabbro Lake are mostly open.

• Turtle is open.

• There is ice in the middle of Bald Eagle.

• Clearwater and Pietro are frozen (thin ice) but Gull is open.

• Quadga and Bog are open.

• Isabella and Perent still have a lot of ice in the middle.

• Polly and Phoebe are open.

• Alton and Sawbill are still frozen.

• Generally the smaller lakes in the south east are open or mostly open. Larger lakes are still frozen.

• Alice is frozen.

• Insula south of The Rock is open, the northern portion is frozen.

• Lake 3 is mostly open.

• Knife Lake including the South Arm is mostly ice.

• Saganaga is still frozen.

FS Pilot report—this information is from a flight late Sunday afternoon.

• Jackfish- 40% open

• Open: Pipestone, Stuart, Agnes, Nina Moose, Ramshead, Upper and Lower Pauness

• Frozen: Oyster

• Bald Eagle- 60% open

• Gabbro- 75% open

• Open: Gull, Turtle, Lakes 1 and 2

• Clearwater- frozen, but open around the edges.

Today’s safety message: Bears are awake and hungry. Keep a clean camp.

Winds are drying fine fuels quickly. Be careful with fire.

Give yourself a fighting chance. Wear your PFD.

May 13, 2013 USFS Ice Out Report

Superior National Forest Ice Update
Monday, May 13, 2013

Today’s Safety Message:
• Grasses are dry and cured. We’ve had a few small fires. Keep fires small and stay nearby.
• Winds will be from the south at 5 to 15 mph but with gusts up to 30 mph. Wear PFDs.

FS Pilot report—this information is from a flight late Sunday afternoon. There is a flight up now so more information will be sent later:

• Pipestone- open
• Jackfish- 40% open
• Stuart- open
• Agnes- open
• Oyster- frozen
• Nina Moose- open
• Ramshead- open
• Upper & Lower Pauness- open
• Bald Eagle- 60% open
• Gabbro- 75% open
• Gull- open
• Pietro- open
• Clearwater- frozen, but open around edges
• Turtle- 25% open
• Lakes 1,2,3 open
• Moose Lake: southwestern third is open; northeastern portion frozen but dark ice.

May 11, 2013 Ice Out Report from USFS

Superior National Forest Ice Update
Friday, May 11, 2013

US Forest Service Update
Today’s Safety Message:
• A personality change is a good indicator for hypothermia. When the loud person gets quiet or the quiet person gets loud, encourage them to take shelter and drink something hot.
• Wear your PFD.
• Ice packs may shift. Be prepared.

FS Pilot report—Information added from flight late Thursday afternoon:
• Fall Lake is mostly open.
• Newton is open.
• There was a very wide band of dark ice from west shore to east shore in the middle of Pipestone Bay of Basswood blocking passage north of Caribou Point.
• Ella Hall, Mud, Muskeg, Hula, and Wood are all open.
• Back Bay is mostly open.
• Wind Bay of Basswood is open but Wind Lake is 75% frozen.
• Moose Lake is mostly frozen but the ice is dark
• Sucker and Newfound are covered with mostly dark ice. These lakes have some open water around the edges.
• Little Gabbro is open. Gabbro is 80% frozen.
• The Kawishiwi River is open from Birch Lake to White Iron. From River Point the river is open up to Three Mile Lake but Three Mile Lake is frozen.
• North Kawishiwi River is mostly open. Lake One is open from the public access to Kawishiwi Lodge. There is a big chunk of ice in the northern half of the lake blocking passage. Insula, Alice, Fraser, and Thomas are frozen.
• Ensign is frozen but dark. Knife and Kek are frozen.
• Garden is 75% open. South Farm is 30% open and dark ice.
• Big Lake is frozen but may open in a day or two.
• The Nina Moose River (aka Moose/Portage River North) is open and Nina Moose Lake is about 80% open. Ramshead is only 40 % open. Stuart, Agnes, and Oyster are frozen.
• The Little Indian Sioux River is open but the Pauness Lakes are only 50% open.
• Dumbell, Sawbill, Isabella, Sawbill, and Kawishiwi Lakes and most lakes of any size on the east half of the forest are still frozen.

May 10, 2012 Ice Conditions

Superior National Forest Ice Update

    Friday, May 10, 2013
                                                                      
Today’s Safety Message:

·         Predictions for winds today include gusts up to 38 miles per hour.

o   Please wear a PFD if you venture out on the water.

o   Be careful with fire. Spring fuels dry out quickly.

o   Ice packs may shift dramatically.

·         Rivers may be dangerous.

o   High volumes of water are causing some dangerous landings at portages.

o   Currents are swift and unpredictable.

FS Pilot report (limited fire patrol flight this afternoon):

·         Fall Lake is mostly open. Newton is open. Pipestone is open up the middle almost to Caribou Point. The rest may open in a couple of days. Jackfish still has white ice.

·         The Nina Moose (Moose/Portage River North) is open and Nina Moose Lake is about 80% open. Agnes is only 40 % open.

·         Dumbell, Sawbill, and most lakes of any size on the east side are still frozen.

·         Moose Lake is mostly frozen.

Reports from people on the ground:

·         Farm Lake is frozen.

·         Sawbill still at 13 inches of ice.

·         Lake One appears to be open from the landing past Kawishiwi Lodge—how much farther is not known.

May 9, 2013 ice out report

Superior National Forest Ice Update

                                         Thursday, May 9, 2013

                                                                       

Current Ice out report from the US Forest Service

Today’s Safety Message:

·         Please remember large masses of ice may shift. Even if there is a narrow channel open along the edge of a lake the opening may be pinched off suddenly.

·         Winds up to 30 mph are predicted for this weekend.

·         The water is dangerously cold. Wear your life preserver if you go out.

Reports from observers at landings:

•   In general, smaller, shallow lakes and rivers on the western half of the Superior National Forest are opening up. 
•   Rivers on the east side of the forest are opening. Lakes are almost all still frozen. 
•   There are no reports of any lakes associated with river entry points being open. The Little Indian Sioux and Moose/Portage (aka Nina Moose) River water levels are high. 
•  Fall Lake is open from the Fall Lake Campground landing to the falls. Newton is open. Pipestone is iced in well south of Caribou Point. 
•  Tofte, Moose, and Snowbank Lakes are still frozen. 
•  Ojibway Lake has 8 feet of open water out from the public landing. 
• The Kawishiwi River leaving east from the Lake One landing is open. 
•   Burntside is frozen. 
•  Little Long and Fenske Lakes are almost completely full of ice. 
•  Johnson (south of Ely off Hwy 21) is open. 
•  Robinson Lake (west of Ely on 169) is open. 
•  Birch Lake is still solid with white ice. 
• There is open water at the South Kawishiwi River Campground landing. 
• Sawbill Lake’s ice—from 23 inches down to 14 inches today.

May 8, 2013 Ice Out report from US Forest Service

                 Superior National Forest Ice Update

                                                                        May 8, 2013

                                                                       

Current Ice Conditions:

From FS pilots: They flew a west patrol yesterday from Jackfish west and south to Birch and Vermilion Lakes.

•       Everything was still frozen. Many lakes were still frozen right to the shoreline. 
•       Fall Lake had the most open water around the edges but was still 80% ice covered. 
•     Birch, Vermilion, Burntside, western Basswood including Pipestone and Jackfish Bays, S. Farm, and White Iron were frozen. 
•       There was a little open water near the bridge on the northern end of White Iron and a little open water on the southeast end.

Reports from others:

•         Rivers are running hard but the lakes are not open. 
•          Some people are venturing out over the ice (very dangerous!) only to find themselves confronting more ice. 
•          A few smaller lakes are very black and may open with rain or wind. 
•          Sawbill Lake had 23 inches of ice on it yesterday.

Sorry to spread such cold, hard news.