Dear Tom,
You often show beautiful photos of ice on Lake Michigan, but always near the shore. How often does ice completely cover Lake Michigan?
— James Lanier
Dear James,
The Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory at Ann Arbor, Mich., and Environment Canada monitor ice development on the Great Lakes. Their data indicate that Lake Michigan has never completely frozen over, a result of the vast reservoir of heat contained in the lake, along with practically constant wind and wave action.
In some of our harshest winters, (1903-04, 1976-77 and most recently 1978-79), ice accumulated across 90 to 95 percent of the lake surface, the greatest coverage ever attained on the lake.
In an average winter, ice covers a maximum of a little less than half the lake, with most of the open water in the southern part of the lake where winters are less severe. Ice development usually begins on Lake Michigan by early January and attains its maximum extent in late February.
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