Ice Visible on Lake Superior Weeks Ahead of Schedule

Lake Superior Ice 11/15/14

 Please don't tell Al Gore...this will make him cry.

Last winter the great lakes saw record ice levels. This year ice levels may top last year. At least the ice is getting a head start. On Saturday morning Nov 15th, a layer of ice was visible on parts of Lake Superior in Ashland, Wis., it is actually several weeks earlier than normal.

The first sightings of ice on Lake Superior and the Great Lakes overall usually occur during the beginning to middle of December. However, a perfect combination of last season's record ice coverage, cooler summer temperatures, and an early blast of arctic air this fall has allowed for areas of ice to form earlier than normal for the second year in a row.

Last winter featured relentless, record breaking cold leading to the second highest ice coverage on record for the Great Lakes as a whole.

Lake Superior also set a record for the longest length of time that ice was observed on the lake. In 2013, ice was first observed on Nov. 25, and it did not all melt until early June 2014.

The extent and longevity of the ice coverage were both equally impressive. It is also important to note that this year the ice is being observed about 10 days earlier that last year's record-breaking season. However, an early start to ice formation does not mean another record breaking ice coverage season is on the way. The overall winter pattern over the next few months will ultimately determine where this year's ice coverage will go.

Whether or not the early ice turns into another record level of ice in the great lakes, you know that the folks who believe in global warming will figure out to blame the ice and cold on their failed hypothesis.