Adirondack Lake Ice Observation Network
No ice is safe ice. If you plan on traveling on ice during the winter months, make sure you’re taking steps to ensure your safety. Read more by visiting our lake ice safety blog post.
Adirondack Lake Ice
Lake ice is essential to Adirondack culture. On any given day when lakes are frozen over, you can see anglers, ice skaters, snow mobilers, and more covering the frozen lakes. It is also hard to imagine having winter without the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival. None of this is possible without lake ice.
Across the Adirondacks there is an increasing amount of information surrounding when lakes freeze and thaw. This information has provided scientists with a closer look as to what is impacting lake ice. While temperatures are known to be the biggest factor impacting lake ice, there are still many factors that need continued study. Historical data has shown us that lake ice is decreasing throughout the Adirondacks. Mirror Lake now has 24 days less ice coverage today than in the early 1900s.
What does this mean for residents?
With decreasing ice coverage, there is also less time that can be spent enjoying the ice. Ice fishing seasons are shorter, there is less time to snowmobile, and there are increasing safety issues when going out on the ice. It is recommended that you have a minimum of four inches of clear ice before considering any activities on the ice. If you would like to learn more about staying safe on Adirondack ice, visit this article. With less time to enjoy the ice, tourism is also impacted, causing local businesses to see a decline in revenue during winter months. However, residents are not the only ones impacted, our ecosystems also rely on lake ice. The loss of lake ice results in a disruption of food webs, water temperature fluctuations, shoreline erosion, and changes to water quality.
How can you help?
The AWI has created a Lake Ice Observation Network that requires the submission of a simple survey and allows anyone to upload current lake ice statuses. You can also view other submissions that have been made to observe changes as they occur. Observations can be made simply by looking out of your car window on the way to work and noting if ice cover is found or not. Observations are welcomed throughout the entire winter season. Repeating observations several times even with no change in information can help to create a better picture of lake ice.
Is it just ice cover that matters?
While ice cover duration is extremely important, it is not the only observation that is valuable to our understanding. Ice thickness and snow depth have been vastly understudied throughout the Adirondacks. Recording ice thickness measurements can be a very simplistic process, especially if you are already using lake ice recreationally. It is encouraged that those who use lake ice recreationally submit these measurements to not only to help scientists but also to ensure their safety on the ice. Increasing the number of ice thickness measurements can allow scientists to gain a greater understanding of how lake ice changes and the best way to protect our lakes.
If you are interested in helping us understand ice phenology, please use the link below to submit an observation or download the app to submit future observations.
You can help even more by using the link below to fill out a short survey conducted by Paul Smiths College graduate student, Marissa Jackson. Marissa’s work helps us understand how we can increase participation in the Lake Ice Observation Network.
Lake Ice Observation Network Barriers
To learn more about the Lake Ice Observation Network, view the Lake Ice Observation Network page to view a map of current and past lake ice reports.