Ice Conditions
 

Anyone been out recently? Heading up this weekend and wondering if there are any trouble spots on the ice to avoid, and how the snow is.

I think you will be very pleased with both the ice conditions and snow conditions. What I've seen of the lake is that all of the normally safe spots are good, at least around Moultonboro. As usual, be careful, hopefully someone will chime in from near your area.

snow
 

Look like big snow piles at Wolfeboro docks. How much snow did they get? I enjoy watching all the Lake webcams and seeing all the ice fishing activity. Miss live stream in Alton Bay. Also love pictures of winter on the Winnipesaukee sight. We have about a foot of snow on the ground in my town outside of Boston. Thanks for sharing winter at the Lake.

Alton Bay area
Plenty of ice and too much snow, 4 wheelers pretty much useless, but snowmobiles will get you around. 18+" in palces with 6" of slush around edges.

This Weekend?
 

What's the lake ice going to be like this weekend after a warm-up and rain? Can we expect slush under a little snow?

Ice conditions
 

I was up there this past weekend ice fishing. In the Meredith Bay area, almost knee deep of snow on top of the ice, and then over a foot of ice, under that. Challenging to trudge through the snow on foot, lugging gear. Saw plenty of snowmobiles on the lake, but no 4-wheelers...too much snow for them to get around, I would guess. Hope that helps.

MM

I've been getting out on winnisquam a couple times a day and I can confirm that it's already getting slushy under the snow before the warmup even starts. So yea, I'd expect it to get pretty gross out there by the weekend.

I heard the south end of Winnisquam Lake opened up (perhaps the increased flow of the Winnipesaukee River). Someone indicated a couple sleds may have gone through?

Be careful out there.

Here is a picture of the sled being taken out on Sunday morning on Winnisquam. Apparently it was two parents on their own sleds and the younger child behind went through. I hear she was ok.

Attachment 9005

Alton Bay
 

Lots of water under the snow right now, 4-8" but is starting to firm up with cold overnight temps. The ramp area is a mess, a large puddle in the vehicle path leading away from the ramp that does not get a chance to freeze because people keep driving through it.
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p...56574234_n.jpg

Ice surface solid yet?
 

Last weekend all that slush made moving the bob house around impossible. Assuming this cold snap has solidified the surface, but was looking for an update on whether it has frozen through or if there is still a slush layer there ? Any first hand info would be most appreciated.
JB LongIsland

Hey there, Were up in Meredith Bay and the recent melt has froze right up. Was out there last night and the lake was making lots of noise (ice growth). The 8 inches of water under my bobhouse has froze up solid with no water in there.

Thanks a lot - from a fellow fisherman !
Hoping to hear that was the case - last weekend was nasty !
Tight lines and stay warm !
JB

Alton Bay
 

Frozen Solid, no slush or loose snow. Very hard surface and very thick. 2 days ago I drilled through 4" packed hard snow into 3" ice and than 3" water and than into 20" of ice. Now I am sure it is solid from top to bottom. My gas-powered auger was about 2" from bottoming out when it broke through.
Surface is pretty bumpy from frozen ruts and such.

Great - is the hard pack surface solid enough to drive a car on ?

Sled pulled from winnisquam last Sunday morning?
 

Does anyone know where that sled went through (On Winnisquam) last weekend? Only place I see a problem is near mosquito bridge and southern end of lake.

Winnisquam
 

It was about 300 yards off shore of the Winnisquam Beach resort launch ramp

Check out the time lapse on the Weirs cam!!!
 

WOO HOO!!! If you look REAL close at the left side of the frame about 3/4 of the way through the time lapse you can see the humble beginnings of ICE OUT 2014! I see it....really I do...it's there.:laugh: Oh I need some relief from this cold in the worst way and the cam gave me a little hope today. I hear on WMUR that we are headed for single digits again tonight, so the lake giveth and the lake taketh away.:rolleye1: I need to be sitting on the Breeze in front of the swim line at Silver Sands real soon or I'm going to need a padded room!! Bring on ICE OUT!!!!

The Breeze
Wave 'cuz I'll be wavin' back

How thick is the ice?
 

While we will have some more cold weather, I would guess that the ice thickness is at its maximum now. Has anyone measured the thickness recently?

I have drilled holes from 26 to 32 inches thick this past week. Black cat Island out by three mile is one of the places I was so its going to be a long time till ice out !

The long range is rather chilly through early April. Seems like a good bet we have an ice out post 4/18 or so unless we really warm up in April.

Ice Out
 

Do you mean 5/18??

that is more probable

The way the season is going I will say ice out will be at the end of April or the begging of May. We took the truck from Center Harbor to Alton Bay across the lake Saturday ! first time I've done that in years.

Ice Out
 

Wow! We may have to delay our flight to MHT this year.

From the looks of what I am seeing on my webcams it appears that the ice is retreating slowly. Will try and post a couple of pics later today.

Attached are pics taken on 03/07 and another taken today 03/11

I love the "think Spring" sign and daffodils on the Island Princess Cam. Wish they were real daffodils.

Just checked the Lakeport Dam Data Phone and found out that the lake temp is now at 36 degrees. Seems that we may be headed in the right direction.

Retreating is good.
 

But, according to today's Union Leader, Dave Emerson hasn't seen the retreat yet. Climate warming, climate cooling, climate change?

Yeah, someone sneaked up to the island and put the flowers and the sign up where they could be seen :)

It was not us - have never been to the island during the winter. It is funny.