Weekend forecast

[Mr. Pike1]

The weekend forecast calls for 60 plus temps in the twin cities...The open water will soon be upon us...

[Guest]

and possibly some rain too

[Guest]

We will probably have ice on the lakes up here untill opener.

Its -20 below tonight again,the lakes are still making ice. I was out yesterday,just barely made it through with my power auger,took the tape measure and hooked it on the ice,we have 38 inches of ice,and will have a couple more before the weekend.

Even at a 1 inch melt per day that is 36-40 days. I think there will be ice yet when opener rolls around,at least on some of the bigger lakes. Just my opinion though.

[Guest]

I would think ice melts at 60 degrees more than an inch per day.

[brian6715]

It melts faster then one inch per day. Last year lake I live on had 14 inches one saturday, and by the next Friday it was open. What happens is the shore opens first, because there is only a little bit of ice to melt because the water is shallow. (like 6-12 inches deep) Then the wind picks up and the water starts to swirl and blow up on the other ice. Then the ice just melts in a heartbeat. The key is to get a board in the late season so you can cross the open water to get to the ice sheet.... but wear a life jacket.
Brian

[Steve Foss]

A solid sheet of lake ice starts to melt slowly, pickin up speed as it things and as open pockets form and wave action breaks up more and more ice, not to mention the action of water against ice wears it away.

When ice is as thick as it is up in the Minnesota Arrowhead (4 feet in some places), the first few 60-degree days likely won't even cost you an inch of ice, it'll just melt some on top, which will re-freeze at the next cold snap. Takes awhile to build up momentum.

And when ice is a foot thick but rotten with open water patches at the very end of ice season, it doesn't take much more than a decent day's wind or a hard rain or a really warm day to make it disintegrate.

They're estimating up around Ely and other places in the Arrowhead there will still be ice on most lakes at opener.

Of course, there's almost no snow on the ice, so when the sun hits it there's nothing to protect the ice, either, like there is in heavy snow years.

Here's hoping we get a warm spring.

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"Worry less, fish more."
Steve Foss
[email protected]

[Guest]

Bring on the 80 Degree weather and the Heavy rain, to melt this ice FAST!
I cant wait much longer, im pumped up.

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It was just a SWAG!