Ice-Out Declared!

[CanisLupusArctos]

Originally Posted by hilltopper

I haven't lived in the immediate area for too long, but I didn't realize there was a Center Harbor and a Center Harbor Bay?

Yup. We have the "Town of Center Harbor" with its board of selectmen, bylaws, population, and all the other things that make a town. Within view of the Center Harbor Town Hall there is the part of Lake Winnipesaukee called Center Harbor Bay. If the town was, say, Center Sandwich instead, we could call the water "Center Sandwich Harbor" but alas, someone in the Colonial era put "Harbor" in the town name.

Re: the media during iceout, they plan for stories like this. It's not a fire, storm, crime, or major political upset. All other stories get planned for a certain day, and an editor puts it on a reporter's calendar for that day. So, probably earlier in the week they talked to their contacts who said it would go out by the weekend, and they planned the iceout stories for the weekend. The ice went out yesterday, and the reporters didn't have it on their calendars until today or tomorrow, so they weren't ready. That's just my guess.

For those wondering when the lake will warm up enough to swim, a lot of that depends on humidity. Humid weather helps the lake temp to climb quickly toward whatever the air temp is. When the air is dry, there is always water evaporating off the surface in the same way it evaporates off your skin. It has the same cooling effect on both. Typically we don't start getting a few humid days until late May or early June. I've found that Memorial Day weekend can be an enjoyable swim (usually the water is around 60) if I've been out doing heavy yard work, getting hot and sweaty. You've got to be ready to get in the water within a couple minutes after you stop working or else your heart rate will slow and you'll cool off too much before you get in the water.

[Merrymeeting]

Originally Posted by CanisLupusArctos

I've found that Memorial Day weekend can be an enjoyable swim (usually the water is around 60) if I've been out doing heavy yard work, getting hot and sweaty. You've got to be ready to get in the water within a couple minutes after you stop working or else your heart rate will slow and you'll cool off too much before you get in the water.

Canis,

I've found it's also a function of age! In my teens and twenties, 1-May was good enough if it was ice out, in my thirties, Memorial Day was great!

I'm now at 4-July!