Ice-In declared on Winnipesaukee
By HARRISON HAAS
[email protected] Saturday, January 16, 2010
Saying it is "right on time", local expects officially called Ice-In on Lake Winnipesaukee Friday morning.
David Emerson of Emerson Aviation did a flyover of the entire lake around 10 a.m. Friday and observed a very thin layer of ice covering a one-acre section on the north end of The Broads between Long Island and Steamboat Island.
"The area probably froze over sometime during the night," said Emerson. "Looking down at it, I noticed the ice was very thin. It was actually translucent."
Emerson said it was an odd area to freeze over because of its location. He said usually the middle section of The Broads freezes first.
Earlier this month, there were still large areas around the lake with spots of open water, including a large area just a week ago adjacent to the Glendale Docks.
"Normally Ice-In takes place between the middle of January and the beginning of February, so we're right on time this year," Emerson said.
Emerson said he and his family have been calling Ice-In since 1981. He flies over Lake Winnipesaukee each winter to see where and when the lake finally freezes over as part of his weekly routine.
According to Emerson, there has been only one year in the record books when the lake did not totally freeze over, which was in 2001 because of higher-than-normal temperatures in December. During the 2007-2008 winter season, one section of the lake took until almost the end of February to freeze over. The lake froze for two weeks and opened back up because of high winds blowing across the lake.
Emerson explained that wind sometimes keeps the lake from freezing and helps it thaw out in the spring.
"We will be getting warmer weather," noted Emerson. "It may even open up again real soon."
Friday's high temperatures were in the low 40s and today's highs are expected to reach the mid to upper 30s.
Local public safety departments are urging residents that, although Ice-In has been declared, they need to use common sense and realize the ice in some areas is still very thin. Moving bobhouses onto the lake may be premature at this point, as the current thickness of the ice is only a few inches.
John Beland, deputy chief of the Gilford Fire Department, said people need to take extreme caution, especially with the warmer weather coming in this weekend.
"Extreme caution should be used, especially around open water or areas with rocks and water inlets," said Beland. "Just because it's Ice-In doesn't mean the ice is safe."
According to the N.H. Fish and Game Department, people never should assume that the ice is thick enough to support an individual's weight. For new, clear ice, it should be at least four to six inches thick to support the average individual and six to eight inches for a small group. Fish and Game suggests having eight to 10 inches of ice before bringing snowmobiles or ATVs onto ice. Vehicles of any size should never be driven onto the ice, officials say.
In the spring, Lake Winnipesaukee holds an annual contest to see who can guess when the last of the ice melts. It is official Ice-Out when the M/S Mount Washington can safely leave port and motor to each of its four ports: Weirs Beach, Alton Bay, Wolfeboro and Meredith.
The earliest recorded Ice-Out was on March 29, 1921, and the latest one was on May 12, 1888. A majority are declared in April.
