Minnesota's Lake Ice-Out Status
(as of April 27, 1998)

Each Monday, the State Climatology Office polled observers around Minnesota for information regarding lake ice conditions.

The definition of lake ice-out varies from lake to lake and individual to individual. For some, ice-out occurs only when the lake is completely free of ice. For others, ice-out is defined as the moment when navigation is possible from point A to point B. And yet for others, ice-out is when 90 percent of the lake is ice free. Due to the variable definitions of this rather subjective observation, the State Climatology Office attempts to contact the same individuals each year to maintain consistency. The table below will offer the information obtained by this informal poll.

All of Minnesota's lakes are now free of ice. Lake ice-out was approximately two weeks ahead of the historical averages, and in some cases, nearly the earliest on record.

Northwest
Name County Status
Bronson Kittson out - 4/10
Detroit Becker out - 4/10
Cormorant Becker out - 4/12
L.o.t. Woods L.o.t. Woods out - 4/16
North Central
Name County Status
Pokegama Itasca out - 4/11
Bemidji Beltrami out - 4/13
Leech Cass out - 4/13
Rainy Kooch. out - 4/13
Northeast
Name County Status
Saganaga Lake out
Fall Lake out
Vermilion St. Louis out - 4/13
Island St. Louis out - 4/13
West Central
Name County Status
Minnewaska Pope out - 4/6
West Battle Ottertail out - 4/10
Ottertail Ottertail out - 4/10
Big Stone Big Stone out - 4/11
Central
Name County Status
Green Kandiyohi out - 4/7
Osakis Todd out - 4/7
Gull Cass out - 4/7
 
East Central
Name County Status
Minnetonka Hennepin out - 4/3
White Bear Ramsey out - 4/3
Big Sandy Aitkin out - 4/7
Mille Lacs Mille Lacs out - 4/12
Southwest
Name County Status
Sarah Murray out - 3/30
Shetek Murray out - 4/6
 
 
South Central
Name County Status
Budd Martin out - 3/31
Clear Waseca out - 3/27
Sakatah Le Seuer out - 3/27
Albert Lea Freeborn out - 3/27
Southeast
Name County Status
Pepin Wabasha out - 3/25
 
 
 

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mcwg@soils.umn.edu
URL: http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/ice_out_status_98.html
Last modified: April 27, 1998