Official 2017 Ice-In Thread
 

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This is the Official 2016-2017 Ice-in Thread. Please post your comments about this year's Ice-in here. The air temperatures are falling and a few coves are freezing so it is time for our annual discussion. in 2013 the lake temperature was 28 degrees on this date. The forecast this week is for very cold temperatures.

It is typically 33-35 degrees at the Weirs when the broads skims over. The Lake temp as of this morning, reported by the Winnipesaukee Dataphone is 39 degrees. (12-12-2016)
The Ice-in page is live at www.rattlesnakecam.com/watch.htm. If you have a webcam or know of one, please post the information in this thread and I will add it to the page. If you have a webcam that I have in the defunct section of the ice in page, please post here if it will be coming back at some point.

For those of us who are addicted to watching the lake freeze, enjoy. If you are new to the lake, come back often and watch the progress of Ice-in!

Please visit this thread for the latest news and the Ice-in page for current images of the freezing progress. (Please click on the ads at webcam sites and support the sponsors. This provides revenue to keep the cams alive)

As always Please post your pics of the freezing lake here.

See you on the ice!
IG

Thank you for the Forum and the Ice-In/out discussions. For those of us who are Summer residents it is a real pleasure to keep track of what is happening on the lake the rest of the year.

Our webcam, Winnipesaukeecam.com will be out of commission until next summer. I need to get a new camera. Any suggestions for a PTZ camera?

Blackey's cove iced up Saturday night, took my circulator about 1/2 hour to break through, so I guessed almost 2 inches of ice Sunday morning. Parts of CH where iced over also on Sunday.

John Snow says "Winter is coming"....
 

And remember 39 degrees is the magic water temperature - the inflection point where colder water is less dense than the warmer water below it, allowing the surface water to fall to 32 degrees and freeze on top of (slightly) warmer water.

Once ice-in has been officially declared, can we have a thread titled "first truck through the ice". :rolleye2:

Doubtful. Because, unfortunately, that headline usually happens shortly after the coves/shoreline areas have just frozen over. Doesn't take long :rolleye2:

On a more seriouse note, the next few weeks are the dangerous ones. Please remind all you know that while the ice may look solid, give it a few more weeks to lock in.

FYI ITD. It's Blackey Cove, no possessive s. Many people make this mistake.:D

Winter is coming....
 

View from Mink Island this AM. A little snow... Lake temp now 38 degrees at Lakeport.

Better pic with Mount Washington in clear view!
 

Mount Washington dressed in white.

As expected, wind broke up any ice that was forming. Put the water temp probe in today (it is not in the water all the time since the docks are out). Recorded 37.5 as water temp. This is pretty much at the surface with the water mixing greatly due to winds.

We are close to the point where an extended period of calm will cause a lot of ice to form. But...no extended period of calm in the forecast.

I always tell the kids, assume first week in January for ice-in, plus or minus 2 weeks due to current conditions. We are in the window....

Lily Pond is completely frozen over. No snowmobile tracks yet as of 12/11 when we were last by there.

Wave 'cuz I'll be wavin' back :D

My wife went by Lily Pond Yesterday and said there was one snowmobile on the ice all by itself.

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So from what I am reading here from everyone, the lake temp is now where it needs to be, we just need a period of time a day or two with no wind and a good chance it'll "lock in" not be safe per say, but lock in? Also, from what I read, ice can form and build as much as 2 inches every 24 hours under ideal conditions?


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It won't happen to the whole lake overnight.

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Circulator is plugged in
 

Plugged my circulator in yesterday just to be safe. Sound about right? Seems like we are within a week or so of ice forming especially in Paugus Bay where ice forms earlier than other areas of the lake.

Lots of steam coming off the water this morning. At the rate the heat is leaving the water, the freeze will happen quickly if this wind ever dies down. (the winds last night may have been the worst I can remember. I certainly wouldn't have wanted to be outside last night! Now -2 here, without factoring in the wind chill! :eek::eek: )

Ice Ice Baby
 

The lake temp is 37 degrees at Lakeport this morning. Minus 5 degree air temp - brrrrr. As soon as things calm down a bit (and assuming no big warming trends, ice formation will happen fairly quickly, particularly in coves, shallower and well protected areas. Still weeks away from safe ice on most parts of the lake.

Paugus Bay:

Sea smoke !

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Glendale docks today; it's almost time to haul these boats!

2016 Ice-In Welch Island
 

Ice forming behind our breakwater on Welch.

http://i646.photobucket.com/albums/u...pssqiydszo.jpg

Welcome to the forum welch-time

Lake Wentworth Ice In 12-17-16
 

Lake Wentworth finally froze over last night. It was almost frozen 6 days ago, with a small open area between Heath Shore and Stamp Act Island, but the winds blew open a large area that was still water at sundown last night.

At sunrise, the whole lake was covered with snow.

Obviously, very dangerous now. Be careful out there.

My driveway is solidly, "locked up" this morning...sorry, couldn't help it.
I would imagine many in the Lakes Region are fighting ice this morning...

Merrymeeting did the same. Wide open on Friday, snow covered and iced-in on Saturday.

But, several large, slushy, areas are showing this morning, and they are expanding. The forecast shows high winds this afternoon. If so, I expect much of it will break up and we'll be looking at open water again.

The ice man cometh....
 

Snowy slush pushed on shore at Mink Island.

Camera Angles
 

Looks like your camp faces Northwest towards the southern tip of Bear. I'm facing North from Mink. We've got the area between Mink, Bear, Jolly and Welch pretty well covered.

we have ice!
 

Pine Island is locked in this morning, looking good for solid ice winter this year, finally!!!

Just be careful out there -PIG

Locking up as I write this off Smith point on L.I. FREAKIN cold out there!

Looking great! Let's hope this holds through the weekend with warmer temps on the way....

Baby, It's Cold Outside!!!
 

Drove from southern NH to southwest Ohio yesterday. Bitter cold headed to NH to help lock up our beautiful lake. Season's Greetings to all. 🐻

Paugus?
 

Can anyone see if Paugus is fully frozen? Weirs cam shows that it might be but there is ice on the lens so hard to see the entire bay. Anyone local that can let us know?

Ice thickness
 

I am located north of Moultonborough Bay and across from Suissevale on the lake and I just went out and drilled through 7 inches of ice in several locations some 150' from shore so about 20' to 30' deep water. How much do you need to support a snowmobile? It would help with the #15 crossing at Ambrose cove.

Technically 7 inches is probably enough, but I wouldn't dare on anything less than a foot personally just because there is variation out there. Do be safe out there!

Ice Thickness
 

WadeJa - This is a handy reference that i found years ago regarding ice thickness. Compliments of the Farmers Almanac
http://www.almanac.com/content/ice-t...s-safety-chart

4 Inches will hold a 'group' of people 'in a single file line'
7 1/2 inches will hold a 2 ton car (Like average sized Sedan)
Yes, that is right, only 7 1/2 inches to hold a car

Technically, the 'pounds per square inch' on a snowmobile is less than a person on foot. (Although this assumes you don't get off the machine).
BUT, as Maxum stated, ice thickness can vary quite a bit.
And the ice thicknesses listed are based on 'Black Ice' (good strong ice without too much entrapped air, etc).

My family has owned a camp in Moultonboro bay for over 100 years.
I've spent my whole life on the water there. Both Frozen & Thawed.
I drive out my snowmobiles & also sometimes my car virtually every year (for fishing, etc).
But i don't drive my car out until there is a minimum of 1 foot 'in the middle'. (Deep water between Suissvale and the Neck).
This is because it's safe to assume that there are thinner spots that may be 8 inches.

Long story short, 7 inches can be safe for a snowmobile.
But if you are 'new' to the lake, or to this area of Moultonboro bay, I suggest giving it a bit more time.
If this cold keeps up, the ice (in that area of M-boro bay) should be in great shape by end of Dec.

*Disclaimer - Above is my 'opinion' based on my own 30+ yrs experience.
But I can't be held liable for my opinions on this topic. Good Luck :)

Here's another view of Paugus Bay from T-Bones/Cactus Jack's:

http://www.nh1.com/pages/t-bones-eatery-weather-cam/

"Yes, that is right, only 7 1/2 inches to hold a car"

To hold any car with me in it, I need the ice to be solid from the surface to the bottom of the lake. ;)

"An old fisherman had just settled onto the ice for a day of ice fishing. He bored a nice big hole in the ice, set up his equipment, cracked a beer and sat on his stoop. He then heard a voice from above...THERE ARE NO FISH UNDER THE ICE! He stopped what he was doing. Looked around but did not see anyone. He continued fishing. Again, he heard that powerful voice...THERE ARE NO FISH UNDER THE ICE! This time, he stood up. looked up and he bellowed...IS THAT YOU LORD???
The voice replied...NO, THIS IS THE RINK MANAGER!!!

Seriously though...be careful out there..the only SAFE ice is at a rink!

Don't you mean "South Point?" I live on LI, and I have no idea where a "Smith Point" might be. Didn't we have this same discussion here earlier this year? Anyway, Smith Point, wherever that may be, probably was just as cold, but probably didn't have a ski lift up it, as did where I went today, and that was cold, too. This seems to happen a lot to places around here.

Smith Point
 

No, I mean Smith Point in Moultonborough. Get out your Bizer chart and follow the lake NW from Moultonborough Bay and right next to the 71 degrees 22 minutes marker you will see Smith Point. There is a Smith Point down in Alton too. Probably a few others on the lake.