Minnesota's Lake Ice-Out Status as of May 7, 2003


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 a consistent record. The table below will depict 2003 information obtained from this informal poll. The table is updated on Mondays.

Historical averages and extremes have been calculated for lakes in highlighted in green.

Northwest
Name County Status
Bronson Kittson out 4-17
Cormorant Becker out 4-14
Detroit Becker out 4-15
Red (Lower) Beltrami out 4-26
North Central
Name County Status
Bemidji Beltrami out 4-24
Kabetogama St. Louis out 5-1
L. of the Woods LOW out 5-6
Leech Cass out 4-22
Pokegama Itasca out 4-22
Rainy Kooch. out 5-5
Winnibigoshish Cass/Itas. out 4-27
Northeast
Name County Status
Fall Lake out 4-28
Island St. Louis out 4-27
Saganaga Cook out 5-6
Snowbank Lake out 5-5
Sturgeon St. Louis out 4-27
Vermilion St. Louis out 5-1
West Central
Name County Status
Artichoke Big Stone out 4-3
Big Stone Big Stone out 4-10
Minnewaska Pope out 4-11
Osakis Todd out 4-13
Ottertail Ottertail out 4-14
Traverse Traverse out 4-3
West Battle Ottertail out 4-15
Central
Name County Status
Fish Trap Morrison out
Green Kandiyo. out 4-13
Gull Cass out 4-16
East Central
Name County Status
Big Sandy Aitkin out 4-15
Calhoun Hennepin out 4-3
Forest Washing. out 4-8
Gervais Ramsey out 4-3
Harriet Hennepin out 4-3
Keller Ramsey out 4-2
Knife Kanabec out 4-13
Medicine Hennepin out 4-6
Mille Lacs M. Lacs out 4-22
Minnetonka Hennepin out 4-12
Moose Pine out 4-17
Rush Chisago out 4-10
Waconia Carver out 4-10
White Bear Ramsey out 4-11
Southwest
Name County Status
Benton Lincoln out 3-26
Sarah Murray out 3-27
Shetek Murray out 4-3
South Central
Name County Status
Albert Lea Freeborn out 3-27
Budd Martin out 3-19
Hall Martin out 3-21
Clear Waseca out 3-27
Loon Waseca out 3-26
Sakatah Le Seuer out 3-26
Shields Rice out 3-28
Swan Nicollet out 3-19
Southeast
Name County Status
Canon Rice out 3-25
Pepin Wabasha out 3-31

-

- Return to Minnesota Climatology Working Group Main Page


URL: http://climate.umn.edu/doc/ice_out/ice_out_status_03.htm
Last modified: May 7, 2003