Broads Frozen?
 

Any reports?

There was a pontoon boat headed that way from Ames farm Saturday if that answers your question...and today was pretty open too!

Most of the ones I've dated were.

Here’s a fresh report for you... no ice in the broads and none expected for the next three weeks!!....Alli is well.

Dan

Important
 

We don't need morons like you on this family forum.

I don't follow ice-in/out all too closely, but how often does the lake not freeze in the broads? Is there ever not an ice-in?

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It's normal for the broads to freeze the 3rd week of January and they usually do freeze. If I remember correctly, there was a year just a couple of years ago that they really didn't freeze everywhere-enough to go on anyway.

Earliest Ice Out Ever
 

That would be 2016 - earliest ice-out ever - March 18. Beat the old record by five days. I remember it well as it was our first winter on the lake. I had heard all these stories about the lake getting locked in each winter and after that season I thought "well..that wasn't so bad".

It is interesting to note that the three earliest ice-outs in 135 years of recording all occurred in the last nine years. Global warming? Coincidence? Too many bubblers :laugh:. I don't know but not being a winter fan, I welcome the trend.

Records from 135 years ago are not apples to apples. Today a fly over determines ice out. Do any of us know what determined ice out 135 years ago. Just saying


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Originally the Ice-Out designation was decided by people on shore.

Later, for roughly 50 years, the call was made by Bob Aldrich, of Laconia. At one time he lived in South Down. Mr. Aldrich was a pilot and was involved with the Winnipesaukee Ice Out for many years. He died in 2004.

Starting in the early 1980s, it was called by Alan Emerson of Emerson Avation. He died in 2002 a plane crash along with a student pilot.

For the past 18 years, since his death in 2002, it has been exclusively called by his son Dave Emerson.

Weirs raft and flag
 

I believe in the 50's there was a afts in eirs Bay with a flag pole. When the ice was gone, or soft enough, the flagpole tipped over. I think the flag was connected to a clock device, so, if the ice was "out" in the dark, everybody knew an exact time. More precise than a visual fly over, but only fore the Weirs, not other ports of call for the Mount. I suspect this "4 ports of call" business is recent, meaning in the last 50 years. Records go back much farther, but the definition has changed over time.

Ice in
 

Snake Eyes, the Rattlesnake Island Cam shows the broads conditions for much of that area. It does not show the portion near Welch Island.

Additionally other Rattlesnake residents have private cams from which the post images from time to time to help with the view of conditions.

The power has been out on much of the island since December 19. NHEC has promised to go today to fix the downed line. One brave resident shoveled the Ames Farm ramp to assist in that endeavor.

Many residents have bubblers and are concerned that they will get frozen in with ice-in.

Once the power is back on Snake Eyes should return to duty!

Happy New Year
IG

We saw a boat yesterday afternoon heading North across the Broads. Still wide open out there.