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Tracking ever-changing ice conditions in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
At times it may seem like winter, with its short days and long dark nights, the bitter cold, and the snow and ice it brings, will never end. But spend even a week or two exploring the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, and you’ll discover it’s simply not true. Winter, like the ice on Lake Superior, is ephemeral – freezing, melting, and changing by the hour. And watching the changes in the ice can become a compelling spectator sport.
Consider the rare one day ice cave viewing season. Thousands of people trekked across 2 miles of ice to explore the mainland ice caves on February 16th. At the time ice covered more than half of Lake Superior’s surface area. Two days later, strong storm winds broke up most of the ice on the lake.
Solid ice and ice cave visitors in front of the sea caves on February 16
Open water in front of the sea caves on February 18
Solid ice and ice cave visitors in front of the sea caves on February 16
Open water in front of the sea caves on February 18
So far this winter, Lake Superior ice coverage has maxed out at 53% on February 9th. The percentage plummeted to just 17% on February 22nd, due to the storm that generated gale force winds of up to 60 miles an hour.
The animation below shows how strong storm winds destroyed the icepack in the western half of Lake Superior, including the area around the Apostle Islands. Notice the dates on the right side of the screen.
As of February 25, a loose mosaic of pancake ice has returned to fill the water in front of the mainland sea caves. Weather patterns will determine whether it freezes solid or gets pulled back out into the lake.
Pancake ice in front of the sea caves on February 25
Pancake ice in front of the sea caves on February 25
While the ice cave season is almost certainly over (track the current status here), you can still find ice that’s worth experiencing in other parts of the National Lakeshore. Thick ice has entombed the breakwall and docks at Little Sand Bay.
Little Sand Bay harbor docks covered in ice
Accessible viewing platform covered in ice
Ice-covered shoreline at Little Sand Bay
A picnic table is under there somewhere
These photos were taken before the storm blew out the ice on February 18th. Wind and waves will continue to build ice and take it away, so long as the temperature stays below freezing.
Given how fast ice conditions change, tracking ice thickness on Lake Superior can be a valuable safety tool. The Great Lakes Observing System or GLOS has launched a citizen science program to measure ice thickness on the Great Lakes. Learn about how you can get involved ice thickness monitoring on their website. And, if you venture onto the ice, remember that no ice is 100% safe.
Jon Okerstrom is a Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore board member and digital and social media volunteer with a background in digital and television journalism, photography and graphic design.
Additional topics related to this article | Citizen Science | ice caves | Little Sand Bay | Meyers Beach | Weather
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