So far this winter, the Great Lakes have been unusually ice-free.
So far this winter, the Great Lakes have been unusually ice-free. As of February 14, 2023, ice covered only 6.6 percent of the five freshwater lakes, which is significantly less than the 35-40 percent ice cover that is typical for mid-February, according to data published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL).
When the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the NOAA-20 satellite acquired this image on February 13, ice cover on the lakes was 7 percent. This is the lowest ice cover measured on this date of any year since 1973, when satellite-based record keeping began. What little ice is present skirts the coastlines of the lakes. A strip of ice can be seen crossing Lake Huron’s Saginaw Bay. In Lake Erie, sediment swirls kicked up by storms give the water a marble-like look.
Air temperatures are the main factor affecting ice cover on the Great Lakes. According to the U.S. National Ice Center, each of the five lakes experienced warmer than average air temperatures in January 2023. The average temperature across the contiguous U.S. was 35.2 degrees Fahrenheit (5.1 degrees above average) according to NOAA, making January 2023 the sixth-warmest January on record.
Read more at: NASA Earth Observatory
Photo Credit: NASA Earth Observatory
