When the Wind Blows

I have a feeling when the wind blows off of Lake Superior this summer it’s going to be cold. The ice coverage on the Great Lakes has been the talk of the winter and for good reason. The lakes reached a peak of 92.2% ice cover this year which isn’t the highest recorded amount of ice coverage but close to the 1979 record of 94.7%.  I was surprised to see so much ice still on a satellite photo of Lake Superior taken on the 16th of April.  No wonder ships are having such troubles on the Great Lakes.

Lake Superior doesn’t usually get too balmy in the summer but there have been recent years when swimming in it is almost enjoyable. I doubt that will be the case this summer. While the rivers on the North Shore may be melting it’s going to take awhile for the ice to be off of Lake Superior. I wonder where ice off will occur first? Lake Superior or our inland lakes on the Gunflint Trail?  I guess we will have to wait and see.

Ice Coverage on Lake Superior
Lake Superior on April 16th, 2014

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