Ice Update 1-31-10

[Formula260SS]

I know there are people itchy to get out around Rattlesnake, the ice is locked in with a solid 6"-8" of mostly clear black ice. I made a loop around the north end of the island from the landing and solid everywhere. The southern end is fine I'm sure as I watched traffic buzzing around down there all day yesterday.

There is no lubrication, it is mostly glare ice. I putted out on my daughters fan cooled sled, my liquid sled would have overheated for sure.

The only problem was the Fish weren't biting !! Bring on some snow and activity will quickly reach full speed.

[ishoot308]

Thanks Formula! I was wanting to venture over in that direction.

Dan

[corollaman]

That heavy wind last Friday had to have stirred up the warm water from the bottom of the lake and melted some of the ice. It's still plenty thick, but just a thought. Once that wind gets whipping it's hard for ice to survive.

[Merrymeeting]

carollaman,

While the thickness varies, the lake is completely frozen over. How would the wind affect the water under the ice if it can't get to it?

[fatlazyless]

By that well known natural process of desiccation where ice gets turned into an evaporating vapor of moisture that gets drawn out of the ice and into the air. Powered by the sunlight, it creates both dried out snow, dried out ice, and a reduced volumn of the ice and snow mass. Up, up, & away, goes the moisture which reduces the ice.

Also, the individual molecules that bond ice together into one solid piece are much stronger and sturdier at 10 degrees than at 30 degrees. Probably, the sunlight shining through the ice has a warming effect on the water below and creates a little water movement. Just like people, the cold water down below gets drawn closer to the heat of the sunlight, look'n for a natural New Hampshire high.!

[Mink Islander]

Originally Posted by corollaman

That heavy wind last Friday had to have stirred up the warm water from the bottom of the lake and melted some of the ice. It's still plenty thick, but just a thought. Once that wind gets whipping it's hard for ice to survive.

My first hand experience a few years back was that if the ice is thin enough heavy winds will actually start to break it up. Almost got stranded on the island when a big blow came through in the year the lake never fully froze and where it did, the ice was only 7-8 inches thick. I could actually see the ice surface undulating in the wind. The large blocks of ice do start beating against each other and the effect does break up the ice. Luckily, the winds calmed the next day and the temps were cold so the ice blocks refroze together -- though I did have to jump a 2 foot gap that appeared at Cattle Landing.

Regarding the question of whether water starts churning beneath the ice on windy days, again, my experience last week at my place on Mink was that the wind did push open water around my docks onto the surface. That sort of water movement does have the potential to cause melting -- but really just around the existing open water.

Even after the big blow last week, the ice was getting thicker due to the cold temps and lack of snow cover. I wouldn't worry about the ice being thinner now than a week ago. Quite the opposite is the case.