Ice-in Watch 2006

[Island Girl]

It is time to begin the Ice-in watch. Unlike ice-out there is no set date that ice-in occurs or that the ice is safe. It will be fun to watch as the ice forms in the bays and out in the broads. There are lots of webcams in the area from which to view the changing conditions. I have created an Ice-in page (http://www.rattlesnakecam.com/icein.htm) on which there are several of these cams.

If you would like me to put other webcams on this page, just post the request in this thread.

You can also post your observations and comments in this thread.

DRH and upthesaukee will be taking still shots of the lake periodically and posting them as well. You can find then on the Ice-in page (http://www.rattlesnakecam.com/icein.htm). These pictures will begin after the ice starts forming.

If you would like to take periodic or daily pictures from a part of the lake not covered we will give you a place to post them. If you take an occassional picture put it on photopost and let me know it is there and I will link to it from the Ice-in page (http://www.rattlesnakecam.com/icein.htm).

As always, thanks to Don Z. for giving the space to do all this. Make sure you visit the sponsors on all of our pages... they help support these free sites.

Enjoy! :coolsm:

http://www.rattlesnakecam.com/icein.htm

[Orion]

Thank You IG!

Makes it easy to get all the info in one place. Good for quick checks from WORK (spoken like Maynard G. Krebs ....if anyone remembers):laugh:

[Pepper]

Terrific! I was hoping you would do this! :D

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[gtxrider]

Cool:cool: , no pun intended.

Yes I remember Maynard G. Krebs. I think he was later lost on an island during a three hour cruise, a three hour cruise.

[trfour]

After ice in,
I think that ice safety for winter sports here on the Lake could be Incorporated into this as well.
Kind of a, one stop shopping, if you will.

Links, or other ice safety reporting for the Lake.

Just an idea :)

T.

[19MileBaylover]

Hey Island Girl,
Nice touch:D
I'm always curious about ice out, so this is a great site.
p.s., is it really Central MA or western MA? Western MA starts west of Worcester.

[xstrapolator]

on the ice in page apparently is case sensitive.

It should be this for the Smith Cove Cam, the other one returns an error page:

http://www.bearisland.org/smithcovecam.htm

Great idea on the page by the way.

[KBoater]

I'm a little late on this but if you look at the Lake Wentworth web cam for Dec. 9 and 10 you will notice the overnight difference of the ice-in on the "Wentworth Boards". Try the slide show.

Winnie can not be far behind. I imagine most of the small lakes are frozen.

[Pepper]

{snip} ... Winnie can not be far behind. I imagine most of the small lakes are frozen.
We drove past Opeechee Park today and were surprised to see mostly open water. There is ice at the beachline and for a few yards into the water, but it was extremely thin in appearance.

Tonights temperatures might make a huge difference in the ice conditions everywhere, though. WOW is it gonna be COLD :eek: .

[gtxrider]

Pepper, when you feel a chill just think back on the summer and working behind the counter at Waldo Peppers.

It is cold down here in Central New Jersey. We may even have a white Christmas.

[Pepper]

Great idea, GTXRider! It certainly is hot there! :laugh:

[trfour]

We all need some more Hot Pepper out here, Pepper! :)

From a very old fan, Happy Holidays Sweetheart!!

This website Warms us, year round, Yes... Very Cool!!

Year Round Winni is all that we need!

Love you all,
trfour.

[mcdude]

FLboater: Look what some little elf added to the Wentworth cam!! IG: Can we get one for Snake Eyes too? (when the BIG lake freezes?)

[Island Girl]

Sure.. we can do that. It might not be until January sometime. Perhaps you would like to come and decorate it!

[Islander2]

Wonder is anyone has been to the Barbers Pole area, and if that section of the lake is frozen, or if there is open water still between it and Cow Is. Also, has anyone driven by Nineteen Mile Bay area that could give me an ice report?

Thanks...

[Zee]

As of last weekend, both 19 Mile and 20 Mile Bays were completely socked in. Looking out beyond, there is solid ice (unsafe) all the way to the graveyard and around Chases Island. I am unsure as to the status beyond that. Moultonborough Bay in Melvin Village was open with ice forming in the bays. If Moultonborough Bay is open then I would guess that the area beyond Chases to Cow Island may be open as well.

[Islander2]

Thanks ZEE. I appreciate the info, and the quick response.

Have a good one.

[JTA]

Sounds like it's almost time to start looking for the couple of ice fishing holes I left last February. They were in the Barber's Pole area ... round, about 12" diameter. if you see them, let me know ... thanks. :laugh:

[Resident 2B]

I think I might of hit one of them passing through the area at dusk in late July.

I hit a hole and it looked about that size. I did not report it to the MP. No damage seen.

[Pepper]

Sounds like it's almost time to start looking for the couple of ice fishing holes I left last February. They were in the Barber's Pole area ... round, about 12" diameter. if you see them, let me know ... thanks. :laugh:

and ...

I think I might of hit one of them passing through the area at dusk in late July.

I hit a hole and it looked about that size. I did not report it to the MP. No damage seen.

... caused me to nearly spray my keyboard with coffee! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

[SAMIAM]

I.G....what a great idea......not only for winter sports,but for safety.
In Moultonborough,they are already snowmobiling on Lee's Pond.They have 6" of ice.

[Misty Blue]

Hi all!

As the ice starts to form our aquatherms will be challanged for the first time this year.

I found a bargan on the Lake Winnipesaukee Home Page Classifieds on a 3/4 HP ice eater. So now I have a spare. If you get in a jam and need one in a hurry 'til you can make repairs give me a call 455-7178. If you are on an island I can haul it by sled once the ice is in.

Misty Blue

[mcdude]

Sure.. we can do that. It might not be until January sometime. Perhaps you would like to come and decorate it!

IG: Apparently there will be no need for us to decorate it ourselves. I've just recently learned of the Tree Gnome whose responsibility it is to decorate web cam Christmas trees!!!:D (See link below)

http://www.lwa.org/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&catid=2&id=363&Itemid=30#363

It's kind of too bad because I was thinking I'd have to hitch a ride with one of the "Babes on Sleds" to get out there!!!:coolsm:

[Lakegeezer]

The Castle Springs Cam http://soot.sr.unh.edu/airmap/CSprings.jpg shows lots of ice on the lake. I had a conversation today with someone up north of Moultonboro bay, who said the ice has been there for over a week, and it is now solid the whole way across. That area always ices up early, but this is very early! Last two years, it did not ice-in there till after Jan 1. We're looking at a cold week leading up to Christmas, so is looking good for a good ice year.

[Mink Islander]

Yeah, those sub zeros last week were big help. Be nice to have safe ice early for a change.

[Merrymeeting]

Large sheet showing on the Wolfecam for the first time. Barring a warm stretch, should be solid by New Years....

[gtxrider]

Sounds like it's almost time to start looking for the couple of ice fishing holes I left last February. They were in the Barber's Pole area ... round, about 12" diameter. if you see them, let me know ... thanks. :laugh:


This time of year the ice holes will float to the surface so just keep looking. I wish you ice fishermen would fill in the holes when finished. The only reason I fall when water sking has to be the darned ice holes. Ya that's the story.


If you ever saw the movie "Johnny Dangerously" with Michael Keaton, the bad guy Roman Maroni used the term "Ice Hole".

[Island Girl]

Check out the Pine Island cam... the ice is coming... Do the "no wind" ice dance!!!

http://www.rattlesnakecam.com/icein.htm

IG

[Bear Islander]

I have ice on the BearCam today, except for around my aquatherm.

The satellite connection to my high resolution camera has been coming and going. Good thing I left the old dial up camera in operation.

[Woodsy]

Its supposed to get warm over Christmas with rain... Any ice out in the bigger water will probably disappear. Some of the small coves might stay frozen.

Woodsy

[Gilligan]

Thank You IG!
Makes it easy to get all the info in one place. Good for quick checks from WORK (spoken like Maynard G. Krebs ....if anyone remembers):laugh:

Shhhh, that was a secret identity. Maynard G. Krebbs (yes, it's spelled with 2, b's) was like the nations original Hippie. They called it a "beatnik" back then but Maynard was a "Hippie" before that word existed. Many still blame Maynard for popularizing what became the Hippie culture so I don't talk about that too much. It was almost like a different life!

I tried to work (WORK!) on a boat but that did not last too long. A bit more than 3 hours. The most work (WORK!) I do now is checking out this forum, watching IG's lake cam page and playing my old Maynard bongo drums. Has anyone seen Zelda Gilroy around the Lake? I had a thing for her and that nose wrinkle. Ahh good buddy Dobie Gillis or, as beatnik Maynard called him clandestinely, Doobie ;).

BTW, Not working is my way to avoid paying Mass State income tax :laugh:

[Kevin C]

Gilligan,
Here's Zelda !......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheila_Kuehl

[19MileBaylover]

It's been two weeks since Zee's report on 19 and 20 mile bay ice. It seems to ice up here first -- and sometimes thaws first in the spring.
Anyway, anyone been by these bays lately? It's been warmer, but am wondering if it's still socked in. Went ice skating on 19 mile bay on New Years, 1991 -- like glass. Haven't seen it since.
Wish there was a cam.

[Rattlesnake Gal]

We drove by the area today and it seems to be iced in. Center Harbor was as well. It was too foggy to get any photos.

[Zee]

Yep, ice is still there but with much water on the top. Some dolt had a snowmobile out there the other day. He/she made one loop out about 400 feet then came back in. Yikes!!! There appears to be a small ice ridge running paralell to the shore about 40 feet out.

[Lakegeezer]

From Moultonboro Bay up to Lees Mills, the ice is safe (except in the narrows). A couple of test spots showed the depth at about 6". The first 2" is brittle, but its on top of four solid inches. The ice skating is very nice - the snowmobile conditions are "don't bother". No snow on the ice at all to lube the track. Best ice conditions on New Year's eve in four years.

[mcdude]

With colder temps and no wind, both Alton Bay (from Echo Point up to the Broads) and Wolfeboro Bay formed a skim layer of ice overnight on Friday. Three snowmobiles were out on Alton Bay (:eek:....what are they thinking?) and the first bobhouse has been placed about halfway between the Mt. Washington dock and the "floating" bandstand. Temps today (New Year's Day) are about 15 degrees up on the mountain. Go pats!!

[DRH]

It's all of 22 degrees today here at the lake in West Alton. We can see a skim-coat of ice forming in some areas.

Here's today's West Alton Ice-In Watch photo:

http://www.echoshores.com/ice-in/2005/010106.jpg

[mcdude]

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopost/data/510/medium/IMG_6807.JPG

[Niceorange]

I was up on Sunset Lake last week until Friday and watched the rain melt a good 6-8 inches of snow we had, but it didn't do much to the ice on the lake so far as I could tell. I was happy that Friday ushered in some more cold weather... Friday morning looked like a bad mud season! Was down in the bay on Thursday and couldn't see much on account of the fog, but that picture McDude posted looks great! For me I just need snow by Jan 25th for my annual "snowmobile weekend" with my college buddies. Work will keep me away until then :rolleye1:

[spotsink]

We were up in the Lakes Region on Saturday the 31st looking at some land. We noticed several Bob Houses out on 19 Mile Bay and some people fishing about 50' from shore on 20 Mile Bay.

Has anyone been out toward Cow or Little Bear? What are conditions out that way? :confused: With people reporting ice as much as 6" thick already, it won't be long before winter sports are in full swing on the lake. I think now might be a good time to pass along a link I copied last year on ice strength. It should be noted that this chart is for MOVING loads and not for static loads like someone or something sitting in one place for a while. :cool:

http://www.mvp-wc.usace.army.mil/ice/ice_load.html

[upthesaukee]

Went out and ran some errands and took some pictures for Snake eyes's ice in page, and then went back down to the bay to see what was going on. This plane came in and made a "touch and go" landing, that is briefly touching down and then lifting off again. He then came back around and landed! I jumped out with my camera, and got him taxiing back in to near the band stand. Like I said, someone's gotta be first! :D

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopost/data/510/1st-plane-Abay-010206.jpg

And in case we have any of our Fly-in friends checking in, here's a hazard to navigationfor you. On the WEST side of the bay at the BOAT DOCKS pretty good sized crane

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopost/data/519/medium/crane-obstruction-Abay-by-d.jpg

[gtxrider]

I looks like winter on the bay! I hope the crane has a beacon on top for the low flying planes.

Are they building something by the public docks or the the crane just being parked there?

[FLAG!]

I noticed that ice formed during the course of the day today. When I got to work this morning I checked out the rattlesnake cam and it showed nothing but open water. This afternoon it was snow covered ice as far as I could see. A quick look at the other cams showed snow covered ice almost everywhere. Now, we just need it to stay cold long enough to form enough ice to withstand the thaw headed our way next week!!! Go Pats!

[upthesaukee]

I looks like winter on the bay! I hope the crane has a beacon on top for the low flying planes.

Are they building something by the public docks or the the crane just being parked there?

No, there's no light on the top of the crane.

The crane is there to remove the concrete walkway sections on the town docks, remove four finger docks that need replacing,and to install no "Trex" type docking material on the removed portions. This will make the entire dock area more like the "Shipley at the Pier" end of the dock, and hopefully make the docks actually safer to walk on. The sections being replaced had become uneven, and presented a trip & fall hazard. Can't wait til spring to see how the whole dock area looks afterwards.:look: .

[Resident 2B]

Now, we just need it to stay cold long enough to form enough ice to withstand the thaw headed our way next week!!!

It looks to me like it will be normal or a bit below normal through Thursday, which at this time of year is below freezing most of the time. Thursday and Friday should give us get two days of above normal, but the ice should be set up by then. Then it looks real cold, near zero at night for several nights.

If the wind stays down, and it looks like it will, I think the ice is here to stay.

It is almost time to start the "Ice-Out" Contest, one of the first signs of spring!:)

[Locke's Islander]

I was at the Glendale Docks today and all was iced in. Some
was tooo weak to support the snow and looked a bit soggy!
However Lilly Pond had snomobile tracks last week!

[upthesaukee]

No, there's no light on the top of the crane.

The crane is there to remove the concrete walkway sections on the town docks, remove four finger docks that need replacing,and to install no "Trex" type docking material on the removed portions. .

Progress is being made on this project. Here's a pic taken on 01-07-06

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopost/data/500/alton-town-docks-010706.jpg

[Island Girl]

The Broads looks to be mostly iced over. Let's hope it does not melt as temperatures rise this week... It is time to play!!

Ice dancers, snow dancers.... double up your efforts!!

[Quilt Lady]

Ice dancers, snow dancers.... double up your efforts!!
I'm dancing as fast as I can but all we're getting is fog! Should I lift my feet higher or wave my arms faster?:laugh: The Babes On Sleds are ready to roll if Mother Nature would just get her act together! Maybe we need to wiggle something to get the snow machine to work!

[Island Girl]

Maybe there is just too much hot air where you are.... :laugh: !

[DRH]

Maybe there is just too much hot air where you are.... :laugh: !
You talkin' about ME? :laugh:

[Mee-n-Mac]

I'm dancing as fast as I can but all we're getting is fog! Should I lift my feet higher or wave my arms faster?:laugh: The Babes On Sleds are ready to roll if Mother Nature would just get her act together! Maybe we need to wiggle something to get the snow machine to work!

We need to do something otherwise we're going to have to put pontoons on the crib and get Pepper to wear a Mae West in lieu of her diaper. :laugh: Don't know what to do about us mushers though .... :eek:

[DRH]

Mother Nature isn't helping us much this week, either. The outside temp. rose by 10 degrees within an hour this evening, and it's now 38 degs and windy.

[upthesaukee]

Funny you mention the temp increase...Wife and I left Alton going to Gilford to do some food shopping. Outside temp as we started down rte 11 by 11D closest to Alton Bay was 29. We got by William Tell restaurant, and the temp was 40! we hadn't noticed the increase. It stayed at 40 past Ames Farm, and about the time we were going past Ellacoya, the temp started to drop. Got to the lights at Patricks, temp was 32. Got to Hannafords and it was 30.

Came out and going by the entrance to the airport, temp was 29. Went by Gilford Yacht club and the temp started rising again, and was at 41 before we got to Ames Farm. It stayed there until we went by West Alton Marina's road, dropped to 40 and then 39 before the road into Minge Cove. Got to the scenic views overlooking Alton Bay, temp was 30!

The time frame was about 5:45 to 7 PM. Once home, I decided to clean the driveway off of the dusting of snow we got today, and while doing that, had a brief moment or two of warm air that felt like walking out of the cold into a nice warm house. Strange N.E. weather. (and that was with no black russians, green creme de menthe, in fact nary a stimulant...:laugh: ).

[Mr. V]

I know that recently a winter went by without the ice freezing over; could be increasingly common with global warming.

My question: does the failure of the lake to freeze cause any negative things to happen, e.g. high hatch rates for insects?

[nj2nh]

It's been quite warm down here in North Jersey and I was wondering if it was the same up there and if it has effected the ice-in? I love seeing all those webcams. What a wonderful idea. Keeps me in touch with my favorite place on earth. I especially appreciate whoever it is who takes the still pics on Alton Bay. We could just make out our house on Echo Point in one of them.

Thanks!

Jersey Girl (missing the lake tremendously):(

[Island Girl]

I just can't look anymore... It looks like ice-out not ice-in.

[DRH]

I just can't look anymore... It looks like ice-out not ice-in.
Yes, the high winds of last night and the above-freezing temps. have done a job on the ice, especially in the Broads (as Snake Eyes readily shows).

We still have ice between Minge Cove and Sleepers/Cub/Treasure Islands, but it's open water again from a line between Treasure Island and Rum Point all the way over to Barndoor Island.

[spotsink]

Someone should save the images from "Snake Eyes" and the weather pattern too and then just replay them in the spring... :laugh: If we start in March maybe by April the ice will be out again... ;)

[Island Girl]

I do save a picture almost every day...sometimes more. This is copywrited material, so others should not be.... I allow a little leeway if asked by someone who wants to put that together...

If I had time, I could show a year and a half of that view!!!

IG

[upthesaukee]

I especially appreciate whoever it is who takes the still pics on Alton Bay. We could just make out our house on Echo Point in one of them.

Thanks!

Jersey Girl (missing the lake tremendously):(

What side of Echo Point are you on, JG? Peggy Cove Side, on on the point itself, or the "broads" side? I can try to get a better picture of the general area of your property.

I've been doing most of the "Baywatch" pictures and DRH has been doing the West Alton Pics.

Cheer up, the days are getting longer!!!!!! Take a run up over Presidents Day Weekend. Alton Bay Winter Carnival that weekend!!!!! :)

[KBoater]

I'm surprised that you are having a mini "Ice Out". I sent all my cold Florida weather north yesterday so I could do some sunbathing today.:coolsm:

[Mee-n-Mac]

I'm surprised that you are having a mini "Ice Out". I sent all my cold Florida weather north yesterday so I could do some sunbathing today.:coolsm:

So now we know who to "thank" ;) That's exactly what we've got, FLORIDA style "cold" weather :eek:

[pparisi133]

Good evening.....

I've been following this discussion group for a while now, and watching the web cams. But not being a native, I'm curious....what do the senior members think about ice-in? Will the derby be in jeopardy, or can the lake lock-up quickly if we get the cold weather? Thanks for your thoughts......

A "southern NH flat-lander". :laugh:

[Mink Islander]

there are a number of variables. Generally, all we really need at this point is a good weeklong coldsnap -- not in the forecast over the next 10 days unfortunately -- and avoid a deep blanket of snow that would insulate the ice and slow it down. In my experience, it's typically the third week of January before the area near my island home is safe (for me that means 7" of ice and plenty of evidence of sled activity in the area) so while we thought we'd have ice early this year with the December cold snap, we're really looking about average or a little worse right now. Got over 3 weeks til the Derby. Lots of time....

[FLAG!]

I would have to say from my experience and this would be the 20th year I've been up there for the derby, there have been numerous years in which we were concerned that the lake would not freeze up solid enough for derby weekend. However It seems to me that the average ice in must be some time in late January. And we'll still have 18" inches of ice in time for the derby (an optimistic thought I know). I only recall one derby in the last 20 years that was postponed a week. So basically, my view is: It's not time to panic... yet.

:rolleye2:

[JTA]

I would agree ... don't panic yet. I have a week booked for Feb 19th and I expect to be on the lake (and safe). Funny ... I thought Island Girl was playing with my mind as I was patiently watching the Snakeyes cam for ice on the Broads and then one day, there it was! The next day ... open water!

[FLAG!]

Well here we are again, the temps are there for ice, but the wind wont let it happen. Can anyone tell me if anyone is fishing on Wolfeboro Bay yet?

[upthesaukee]

here's a shot of wolfeboro of the wolfe cam on 011606 late afternoon:

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopost/data/15060/wolfecam-011606.jpg

[Pepper]

EI YI YI it's getting harder and harder to see any "real" ice on the lake! :eek: Between the temps, the pouring rain, and this incredible wind the situation is getting worse by the hour! :(

Those of you who've watched the winter weather for years have any prognostications on whether or not we're actually going to have a true "ice in" this year? Any comments on whether or not it will have a chance to knit properly in time for the Alton Bay Winter Festival, the Ice Fishing Derby and the Sled Dog Races? I must admit I'm getting very nervous about this ice situation.

[FLAG!]

Yes, I too am a bit concerned about ice by feb. It's not looking good right now. Long range forcast is no good either. I had planed to do some ice fishing this weekend in Wolfboro, but that doesn't look good. The only thing to keep in mind is that it only takes one dead calm and very cold night to set things up and then a few days of cold weather. If conditions were perfect the lake could theoretically lock in over the course of a couple days. But that's counting on a change in the weather trend...:confused:

[Island Girl]

Get those boats ready... Cruising the lake in February... what a concept!

Ugh!

[hockeypuck]

I am also a little nervous about ice for the fishing derby and sled dog races. Have planned to bring five couples up from Connecticut for the derby weekend. We don't need to fish, but it would be fun, and would keep the ladies out of the stores. Well there's always Patricks Pub:D Hope the dogsleds have wheels. I really appreciate the updates on ice in. Down here in CT it's been very warm, windy and wet. Global warming?

[fatlazyless]

It's perfectly legal to fish, rigged for smallies, all year round except for their two week spawning in June. Don't know, but it's most likely too early to put the dock-boatlift-boat back in. Could be the right time of year to try out fly fishing for smallmouth bass and other sunfish from a kayak. ...can't go skiing....and could be that battery operated tip-up jigger, www.naturevisioninc.com, will not be seeing any action any time soon.

[hockeypuck]

Fatlazyless - Thanks for posting the link. I checked out the battery powered tip up. What will they think of next. Maybe catch some battery powered fish;)

[hazelnut]

All that cold air is locked up on the other side of the planet. All we need is a little and they have plenty to spare!!!! I guess it's all cyclical. We'll get ours (hopefully).

http://www.moscowtimes.ru/stories/2006/01/19/003.html

[emailmannh]

The lake is like glass off Rattlesnake this morning. A beautiful sight to those of us who would like to ride our Jetski. Seriously considering it for tomorrow 1/21. If the winds continue to be calm. Does anyone know of an open launch on the south side of the lake? I'm thinking Glendale as water is now open off Varney Point. Alton must be socked in.

[DRH]

The lake is like glass off Rattlesnake this morning. A beautiful sight to those of us who would like to ride our Jetski. Seriously considering it for tomorrow 1/21. If the winds continue to be calm. Does anyone know of an open launch on the south side of the lake? I'm thinking Glendale as water is now open off Varney Point. Alton must be socked in.
I think that's ice you are seeing in the Snake Eyes image. The temp. dipped into the 20s last night and the wind died, resulting in a skim coat of ice. At least that's I see between Minge Cove and the southern side of Rattlesnake.

I wouldn't advise a jet ski ride, even if the thin layer of ice melts (which will probably happen as the air temp. is supposed to get near 40 today). Before the skim coat appeared overnight, there were many chunks of ice floating around the lake yesterday. We can see them frozen into the skim coat of ice this morning. Better to be safe and not venture out on a jet ski in these conditions.

[Island Girl]

Let's hope for a cold night again tonight!

[upthesaukee]

There was some serious ice melt out at the end of Alton Bay this past week. I finally got to take a picture on Thurs late, and put arrows on the picture to show where the ice is. The ice was still in by Camp Kabeyan, but angled back down the bay from their cove towards the Scenic View on Rte 11. Result was open water on the middle and west side of the end of the bay, all the way over to Little Mark and it looked like back to the area of Boulder Lodge.:( Maybe the colder temps will get the ice in going again.:rolleye1:

[emailmannh]

My buddy and I had planned to ride Saturday, although Friday would have been the better day with all the smooth water. It looks like Saturday will be rainy and too windy. Thanks to those who replied to my earlier message. Let the ice come on. We'll try in April to get that first jetski ride in. In 2005 it was on April 11th. And our last ride was December 1st, one of the best, if not the best ride of the year. The water had never been calmer. Enjoy the ice, it will be fun to watch on the cams. My thanks to those who have them.

[emailmannh]

What a very interesting picture. Thanks for the cam Island Girl.

[JTA]

I wonder if the Broads is finally set to freeze, or did Island Girl use a computer generated mosaic to trick us? Looks like a hard freeze will do it but the long range forcast may not be cold enough. I love the Snakeyes cam Island Girl!

[Zee]

I've been watching the bob house activity on 19 mile bay. In past years there were usually about 8 houses. This weekend there were atleast 18 with trucks and atv's as well. If parking weren't an issue, they could have the derby there. :eek: Maybe the increased activity in this bay is due to the lack of ice elsewhere??? I am curious as to how thick the ice really is there.

[Merrymeeting]

As many had predicted, it's amazing to me how quickly the areas skim over once the temps drop below freezing again. On Saturday, we had temps in the 50's and open water everywhere.

Today, most cams showing snow staying on top of a VERY thin layer of ice. But if the temps stay low, it appears the ice will thicken quickly. The temperature mass of the water body seems ready.

The part I'm trying to figure out is the forecast. Here in central MA, they are predicting 40's tomorrow, but then mid-30's at best (mostly below freezing) at least until the weekend. Yet the long range forcast for the lakes shows temps in the 40's most of the week, at least at the sites I looked at.

[DRH]

There's a pretty good weather page on WASR's web site, including a long-range forecast from the National Weather Service for the Lakes Region. According to the NWS forecast, the high temps. in Wolfeboro are supposed to be 27 today, 35 on Tue, 31 on Wed, 27 on Thu, and 30 on Fri.

The URL is http://www.wasr.net/

On the home page, click on the "Weather" tab. You can then click on various sections of the lake for local long-range forecasts.

[gtxrider]

DRH, I think your picture is wrong on the Ice In Page or the weather at the West Alton Digi Cam is different than the rest of the lake.:confused:

[DRH]

DRH, I think your picture is wrong on the Ice In Page or the weather at the West Alton Digi Cam is different than the rest of the lake.:confused:
Hmmm, what are you are seeing, gtxrider? Here's the photo I posted this morning on the West Alton Digi Cam page:

http://www.echoshores.com/ice-in/2005/012306.jpg

Are you sure you've cleared your browser's cache? You may be seeing yesterday's picture if you didn't.

[Island Girl]

..... from all the dancing... we got ice... we got snow... Nice job, Babes!

[trfour]

..... Now lets keep dancing so as to keep the deep freeze goin' through February!! :)

Love,
T.

[nightrider]

Was that an inverted bobhouse in the water at the end of Alton Bay? It appears to have been blown in there Saturday evening during that high wind.

[Quilt Lady]

..... from all the dancing... we got ice... we got snow... Nice job, Babes!
Riverdance is a stroll in the park compared to the Babes On Sleds doing their Snow Dance. Talk about your "Feet of Flames"!!! We needed the snow just to cool our feet off! I thought my boots were going to melt! Way to go, BOS Ladies and Babes in Training!

[IslandSib]

This reminds me of the ice cream truck coming, when you were little......you can hear the music...
Better get ready!!!:banana:

[Orion]

ROTFLMAO.....very funny stuff Quilt Lady.

Web cams all look promising!.....keep fingers crossed and keep on dancin'!

[OVIDGSD]

Can anyone on the ground give us a report on exactly how much snow Winni got yesterday? Thanks!

[Paugus Bay Resident]

We got about 5 inches in Gilford, a little bit more in Alton.

[DRH]

We got about 6" in West Alton.

[Pepper]

What a sight! :D

Mother Nature's artistry is showing all over the lake this morning!

On the Weirs Cam there is a swirling masterpiece depicting varying thickness and formation of ice with a tapestry of snow atop.

On the Anchor Marine Cam, Crystal formations reflect a rainbow of colors as the sun's angle casts it's rays in a most favorable light.

On Snake Eyes, a field of diamonds delights the eye with an ever-changing arrangement of rainbow lights, as the sun dances across a bejeweled landscape.

If there's anybody out there who can't look at the cams this morning and not wonder about the beauty of nature, well, that would be sad for that person. ;)

I hope you all get an opportunity to view this spectacle before it passes! :)

[SIKSUKR]

I'm with you Pepper!! I think winter in NH can be absolutley spectacular!Get out there and enjoy this beautifull part of the world on a sunny winters day.There's nothing like it!!Smell that awesome mountain air and look around at the snow covered landscapes even if you don't indulge in winter activities.I myself love being on top of a snow covered mountain on a cobalt blue sunny day with the sun warming your face.I love summer but the crispness and clearity of the air in winter doesn't even compare.More snow please!!!

[DRH]

We saw a large coyote out on the new ice this afternoon. We first spotted it walking around between Treasure Island and Ship Island, then it wandered over between Ship and Moose Islands. We watched it for quite a while with a spotting scope. It didn't appear to be on any particular quest or heading in any particular direction, and occasionally it would just sit on the ice and look around. We lost track of it over near Moose Island. With the ice so new (and thin) we were hoping the coyote wouldn't break through, but the ice was strong enough to support its weight.

[Pepper]

Oh what a beautiful thing to witness! I'm envious!

We have a small pack of coyote in our neighborhood somewhere, as we can hear them communicating with one another on a nightly basis. Usually around 1:00AM while I take the dog on his last walk of the night I can hear them howling back and forth to one another in the neighboring woods. Years ago it would make my hair - and the dog's fur - stand on end every time. Now it's become a welcome and pleasant sound that I look forward to.

I must admit, though, that I'm glad I can only hear them, and not see them! :eek:

[FLAG!]

My question is, how much snow is on the ice. If the lakes region got 5 to 6 inches of snow, is it going to present an insuation problem now? ^ inches of snow on 1 inch of ice is not generally a good recipe for strong ice. Some of the cams look as though the ice was watery enough to suck up a lot of that snow. Is that the case or am I looking at 5 inches of snow on the ice????:cool:

[upthesaukee]

We got about 6" in West Alton.

We had a like amount here right above Sandy point Keywadin park area. Glad it was over 4 inches...the plow guy only cometh with 4 inches or more, and this stuff was heavy! :)

[Paugus Bay Resident]

My question is, how much snow is on the iceDon't know the answer (since I'm to chicken to go out ;) ), but when I drove to Alton this morning all the ice I saw was covered. Temps were above freezing most of the day (6pm 30).

[gtxrider]

Hmmm, what are you are seeing, gtxrider? Here's the photo I posted this morning on the West Alton Digi Cam page:

http://www.echoshores.com/ice-in/2005/current.jpg

Are you sure you've cleared your browser's cache? You may be seeing yesterday's picture if you didn't.


It sure looked like the picture from 1/22. I may have looked before you up loaded the new one. Anyway it looks like there is ICE and SNOW on the lake.

Dance girls, dance......:banana:

[edog]

I wouldn't go out on that.Lot of people would though.:eek: :eek:

[Mink Islander]

I'm guessing we're still at least a week away from seeing a lot of activity on the lake given the still relatively mild temps, but am wondering whether anyone's tested the ice in Meredith Bay yet.

[FLAG!]

I'm counting on you lucky people who are up there this weekend to poke holes in the big lake and let us know... The suspense is killing me...
We'll be fishing the wolfeboro area on the 4th & 5th, but my buddies keep moaning about the ice not being safe.... I keep assuring them that the cold nights are doing what we need them to do...

Fingers are crossed!!!

[pparisi133]

Wow, it looks like the lake is setting up.....looking forward to reports from the "field" as to how actual conditions are up there. A group of us Flatlanders will be going to Rattlesnake for our annual trip on derby weekend...hopefully all will be well by then. :laugh:

[Island Girl]

Check out the Ice-In page for a nice aerial shot of part of the lake. This picture generously lent to us to view by Bill Himmel at LakesRegionAerials.com (http://www.lakesregionaerials.com/). It shows a very unique ice formation... Don't go out there yet or you will be in for a surprise.

Look here http://www.rattlesnakecam.com/icein.htm

[DRH]

Very interesting photo!

[Pepper]

Holy Cannoli! :eek:

That's interesting "formation" alright!

Note to GravyBoat: Do NOT go out on a snowmobile and head left! Yikes!

[pparisi133]

WOW....what a great shot of Rattlesnake and Treasure.....hope it locks in this week :confused:

[Senter Cove Guy]

The enlarging of all the lake webcam pictures for the Ice-In watch is your latest stroke of genius. Well done.

[Island Girl]

Bill Himmel sent another of his greats shots for our enjoyment... this is just off Broadview condos in Gilford.

Enjoy!

http://www.rattlesnakecam.com/icein.htm

[Pepper]

Sometimes you see something on a webcam that just "strikes" you. That happened to me this evening. While viewing the Ice-In watch page, I discovered that the "FrontLawn Cam" broadcasts it's image even after dark. Having viewed this same page earlier this morning, I was delighted to see something that is invisible in the bright light of day but quite visible after dark. I wonder if the cam managed to capture an image of the critter who "signed his X"? :D

[mcdude]

The Union Leader's take on things....

http://www.theunionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Few+bobhouses%2c+but+plenty+ of+hope+on+Meredith+Bay&articleId=5bee6cf9-5b71-45ea-8a58-a4de32084b90

[Mink Islander]

Just wondering whether there's any activity out on the ice in this area or over towards Mark Island from the Cattle Landing. Curious what the ice thickness is like over there. Guessing it's still pretty questionable through there and the marginally cool nights and spring-like days aren't helping much.

[FLAG!]

Hey all, I had about 20 minutes to stop in at Wolfeboro and chip a hole in the ice on my way through town. South Wolfeboro Bay. It was sketchy getting on to the ice but Once out about 30 feet I had 4 inches of black ice with about two inches of crusty, crumbly grey stuff on top. We're going to hit the ice with a large group of fishermen next weekend, but if we don't have a solid 6 inches, I think we might opt for a nearby small pond instead. Anyone know how the ice fishing is in Rust pond?
:confused:

[Mink Islander]

Interesting. I too look to have at least 6" and preferably 8" of black ice under me before I go marching across the lake to my place. May be a stretch to see that by the weekend.

[Misty Blue]

Hi Folks!

'Just back from a little ICW time in Boca Raton. They can have it!

There is nothing better than a X-country ski on the Lake! We just did a little jog up Red Hill....Awsome!

As they say... It's the snow that brings 'Em here but it's the slush that Keeps 'em here!

Misty Blue.

[djhornet]

I now live year round in Key Colony Beach and I have to agree with you. We have kept my childhood home on Pleasant st. in Meredith Bay and I would be heart broken to see the Derby delayed let alone cancelled. I have been checking in on the weather forecast and it looks very promising so I am ecstatic about that. The Wahoo fishing is hot, but I am in dire need of some clean cold air from the Lakes Region, chatting with the many people who visit us, and a dozen or more flags. Winnipesaukee is my therapy and without question I would take that ski around the lake over the offshore trolling 99 times out of 10o; if only my business would allow me more time!

[Island Girl]

Does someone have an ice bubbler out in the broads off the Broadview condos... I have been watching that hole of open water get larger everyday... now it is very apparent.

We could use another aerial shot, Bill!

Island Girl

[Pepper]

IG it's getting worse in other spots, too! The Weirs Cam is showing two large areas of open water which I did not notice previously! :( I'm beginning to lose faith that we will see a true ice-in.

[jaybat]

Hello IG and others. First, I'd like to thank all the folks who have sent up the web cams and posted the messages about the ice conditions. For the past few weeks I've been reviewing the Ice-in Watch page to see how the ice on Winni is setting up. Looks as if mother nature isen't beeing nice to us out doors folks. Anyway, this is my firs message and I like to know if any folks out there know what the ice conditions are over on Wentworth. I'm planning to come up and fish on the 11th & 12th of February. I know it the BIG DERBY on Winnie but, we've already planned the weekend for Wentworth. Maybe next year we'll enter the Winnie derby. If any one out there has info on Wentworth please post a message. Thanks for the assistance and feed back from Jaybat in Central Mass.

[Merrymeeting]

Jaybat,

Everything you want to know can probably be found here...

http://www.lwa.org/

including a webcam....

[secondcurve]

Pepper:

Please don't post sad smiley faces about the lack of an "ice in". Think positively, it will be an early spring! If we were going through a difficult winter, there would be all sorts of chatter about wanting spring to arrive, etc. Pray from warm weather and lots of rain. We will be on the lake in our boats in mid April this year!

PS: I saved $500.00 bucks by not insuring the sleds this year. No snow, why insure them!

[Pepper]

SecondCurve, I am sad because my snowshoes sit idle in the mudroom, I've yet to be able to have my very-first-ever snowmobile ride, and although this winter is unusually mild, we've been virtually unable to go outside and play. :( Besides that, I'm getting ready to take a much-anticipated cruise to the Caribbean, and what fun will it be to escape a "non-winter"? :rolleye1: :rolleye1: Thus far our only "winter joy" we can look forward to is the Alton Bay Winterfest, as we're participating in the bed race that day. My first winter with free-time, and I'm not having any fun yet! :eek: So, you can see why I post sad faces.

There is a silver lining to the dark cloud, however. If the weather stays mild, when we reopen in March we might actually be busy, because everyone will be opening up their cottages, starting construction projects, and generally just glad to be entering a season with some hope of fun! :D

[Mr. V]

Hi Pepper

Say, if you want the best of both worlds, head out to Portland, Oregon.

You want snow?

Mt. Hood is 60 miles away, and it has fourteen feet and counting, with great ski areas, both downhill and cross country, and mucho snow mobile trails.

Best of all, once you leave the mountains and return to the valley, there's no snow or ice.

Lots of rain though.

[pparisi133]

I have to agree with Pepper....this is NH....there's supposed to be cold, snow, and ice! As much as I like camping, fishing, and going to the beach, I equally enjoy skiing, snowmobiling, and ice fishing! I think the four seasons are what makes New Hampshire the best place to live....a 6 month spring just doesn't do it for me :(

But, what can we do? "Let us accept the things we cannot change", right? Who knows....we could set a record in March for the most snow in a 30 day period! LOL.

Keep smiling, everybody!! :D

PS - anyone hear how the Derby meeting went today??

[Pepper]

...PS - anyone hear how the Derby meeting went today??

WMUR just reported that the Derby has been postponed one week.

[Weirs guy]

Its my first winter living on the lake, and all I can do is watch the ice come, then go, then come. So much for taking my kids ice fishing and slidding down Tower Hill, but at least the heating bills are managable.

[jaybat]

Thanks Merrymeeting for the link to Wentworths Lake Asscociation web site. Any news on next weekends Winnie Derby? Our Rod & Gun Club located in Upton, MA has postponed its Trout Derby scheduled for this weekend. Hope is not next weeked as a few of us are planning to head North up to NH to ice fish on Wentworth or somewhere. Just getting away for a few day up to NH is always a blast.:coolsm: I'd probably spend more time in the summer up in the Lakes Region but you can't catch Stripped Bass in the regoin that I'm awear. Thanks again for the link, it's appreaciated.

[FLAG!]

Actually, I have unconfirmed reports that Winnipeasukee has a small elusive striped bass population....

That wasn't bottom you had when you lost your line trolling for salmon last spring...


:coolsm:

[nightrider]

derby postponed one week

[gravy boat]

I see what you mean -- looks a bit damp off of Dinsmoor Point in on of those photos, doesn't it? ;-) I appreciate the heads up!

BTW -- we miss stopping by with the girls to visit. They keep asking when we can stop by for lunch again. Hopefully it's soon!

Gravy

[nhlakelover]

I know we're all hoping and waiting for cold and ice. I'm coming up next weekend for the Derby (that I see has been postponed). However, I want you all to know that I have a student in PA. using this website as the basis for his science project. He's been using the daily photo from Alton, saving the aerial photos, using the lake temp chart and daily weather temps along with a few other links from here to keep a journal and predict when the lake will freeze. He has predicted Feb 10th and I hope he is right!! Anyway, I want to thank all of you for your comments and enthusiasm because he has only seen the lake through my pictures and he has more of a feeling of the importance of the lake freezing through all of you! Thanks... and by the way, it's 58 degrees and raining here, haven't seen snow or ice since December!

[Weirs guy]

Well, between todays weather and the dock bubblers running 24/7 here, there may not be any ice left at the Weirs come this weekend. I went down to the lake last night and the open water by the peir and docks is getting bigger and bigger.

And Pepper, let me 2nd you opening up again soon, Gilford House is getting old....

[Pepper]

GravyBoat and WeirsGuy -just a short while now! Should be somewhere in the last two weeks of March, unless Mother Nature decides to send us a few late winter blizzards and nor'easters. That would push it back a week or two.

Thanks for asking - it's nice to know we've been missed. :blush:

[jaybat]

Hi Folks, Hope the weather in the lakes region is better than it's down here. Sitting in my office down here in Attleboro MA looking out the window and it's pouring and the temp is 55 degrees. :emb: I'm thinking about going home and uncovering the bass boat and heading down to Cape Cod to do some pond fishing. No ice at all down there. Only problem is cleaning the boat after traveling down the highway. Lets all pray mother nauture sends us a nice long cold spell to freeze up the lakes up in your region. I'm truly looking forward to spending a few weekend up there doing some fishing. Enjoy the up comming weekend and the Big Game.

[FLAG!]

18 of us were on Winnipesaukee this Firday, Saturday and Sunday ice fishing in the wolfeboro area. We have a little "mini-derby" of our own. We fished in the rain on friday, Saturday was very nice but warm, and yesterday it rained until about 10:00 then it cleared up for the last 2 hours of fishing. I have to be honest, if we had planned to fish today we would have had a big challenge getting on to the ice. As it was we had to assemble a makeshift "bridge" consisting of planks, boards & plywood just to get on to the ice. However once on the ice there was a solid 6 inches of black ice. Then we headed out to set up a tent over about 22 feet of water and we had 8 inches of black ice. The ice around the shore was poor. All of the incoming run off has been melting ice and preventing it from freezing up at night. Unfortunately I think all of that run off may be adversely effecting the fishing. We only managed two lakers, one perch, two rainbows and I think three salmon (which of course were all very nice fish because we can't keep them). The two rainbows were very nice also. The first was 1.9 pounds and the second was 2.2 pounds. Full of smelt. The lakers were both over 2 pounds. I will post some pictures from the weekend in the next day or so.

[Grant]

Looks like this week will help the ice a bit, and the long-range forecast for the next week (leading up to the re-scheduled Derby) will be quite frigid. I'm heading up for the 10-11-12 weekend, but won't do much fishing...

[jaybat]

Hi Flag, You must really enjoy ice fishing to go through all the work getting on the ice and then dealing with the rain. I'm sure the tent helped. Did you folks have much wind yesterday?

[FLAG!]

other than a gust or two the wind was a non-issue. The challenge was staying dry. With up to 4 inches of slush & water on top of the ice at times the waterproof-ness of your boots was a big factor.

[Weirs guy]

Looks like we made some progress last night!

[DRH]

Looks like we made some progress last night! Yes, it's 7 degs here in West Alton this morning.

[Merrymeeting]

With temps the way they have been for the past few days/nights, why does it seem that the open water on the Broadview camera is getting bigger?

[Island Girl]

I suspect it is the wind.. we need some calm.:(

[Alsobig]

Remember "The Year with out Santa Claus..." Well this is "The Year With Out ICE!"

[Weirs guy]

With temps the way they have been for the past few days/nights, why does it seem that the open water on the Broadview camera is getting bigger?

Yeah, that hole is disheartening. It keeps freezing over at night only to open back up durring the day. All the bubblers along the shore aren't helping either, the ice out there seems to move around a lot.

[Rick]

Wind certainly is a big factor. Many wonder why ice doesn't form right away when it hits 0 degrees (C). It is all chemistry and thermal energy. Once the water reaches 0 degrees (C) it takes a very large loss of energy in order for the molecules of water to change to a solid. This is known as Heat of Fusion. For example it takes the loss of 1 calorie to drop the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree (C). This is true until water reaches 0 degrees(C). Water must now change from a liquid to solid and this takes an additional loss of nearly 80 calories per gram of water. If you placed a thermometer in the water and watched as it cooled you would see a steady decline in temperature until it reached 0 degrees (C) then the temperature would remain at 0 degrees until all of the liquid had changed to a solid (ice).
If you have trouble understanding this don't worry my chemistry students had trouble also!:D :D

[Quilt Lady]

If you have trouble understanding this don't worry my chemistry students had trouble also!:D :D
Very well stated and understandable. It's a much better answer than . . . "it gets very cold and then a miracle happens"! :D

[FLAG!]

so here's how we prepared ourselves for fishing last weekend when the ice was questionable...

Rope, life jackets, and UV protection sunglasses...

[pparisi133]

Does anyone know how Minge Cove looks as far as snowmoblile access from the marina off 11D out to Rattlesnake Island? We were going to come up today and take a look but mother nature changed our plans. I'm worried we're not going to get a good picture of what's going on now that there going to be 6"+ of snow on the lake.....Thanks! :D

[DRH]

Does anyone know how Minge Cove looks as far as snowmoblile access from the marina off 11D out to Rattlesnake Island? We were going to come up today and take a look but mother nature changed our plans. I'm worried we're not going to get a good picture of what's going on now that there going to be 6"+ of snow on the lake.....Thanks! :D
When you refer to the "marina off 11D", are you referring to the Minge Cove Marina? That's actually off Minge Cove Rd., not 11D.

We saw several snowmobiles going between Minge Cove and Treasure Island yesterday. The ice thickness in that area is reportedly about 6" on average, but the thickness varies widely.

HOWEVER, there are still some large areas of open water along the Gilford shoreline between Ellacoya State Park and the Belknap Point Motel. As of yesterday, the largest area of open water stretched from the shoreline near the Belknap Point Motel more than 3/4 of the way out to Welch Island. That large area of open water is visible in the following photo, taken yesterday from Lincoln Park:

http://www.echoshores.com/ForumPics/BelknapPoint.jpghttp://www.echoshores.com/ForumPics/BelknapPoint_021106.jpg


Further up the lake, yesterday there was a large area of open water between Meredith Bay and Governor's Island, and extending over toward The Weirs, which is visible in the following shot:

http://www.echoshores.com/ForumPics/Meredith_021106.jpg

Moral of the story ... while certain sections of the lake may be safe for snowmobiling, many areas are not safe at this point. If you decide to venture out, make absolutely sure the ice you will be travelling over is safe. Today's snowfall will make that determination more difficult, so be VERY careful out there.
http://www.echoshores.com/ForumPics/Meredith.jpghttp://www.echoshores.com/ForumPics/Meredith.jpg

[ghfromaltonbay]

The Babes on Sleds and the rest of us snowdancers finally got the right steps. We have over a foot of snow here in northern NJ, heading toward the 18" mark. Hope this much makes it all the way to the lake. Looks like it is supposed to stop here in the late afternoon, although the snowfall has tapered off a bit. We even had thunder + lightning overnight. According to the newscast the storm is following Rte. 95 up the coast toward New England. Can't wait to get to Alton Bay next Saturday and see the Babes on Sleds in action!

[upthesaukee]

Forecast for the lakes region is approx 3-6 inches. Long range has temps on Wed Thurs Fri in the 40's with rain on Friday :( :( .

DRH, here's a similar pic taken from just west of the Condo's.
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopost/data/510/medium/021106_ice_in_open_water_belknap_pt.jpg

DRH, we must have travelled the same road at different times

[ghfromaltonbay]

I feel your pain, UTS. The temps are supposed to hit the 50's here by Thursday. I'm hoping that the long range forecast is wrong -- a lot can happen between now and Friday.

[DRH]

DRH, here's a similar pic taken from just west of the Condo's. ... we must have travelled the same road at different times Excellent shot, upthesaukee. It really shows how large that area of open water is.

[Skip]

DRH,

What's the weather over your way today? Not seeing much talk of the storm here, wondering how or if it is building up on the ice at all? :confused:

Skip

[upthesaukee]

I just went up to McGraths and there is about 2.5 inches on the ground in my yard (just above Keywadin park & Sandy Point area), and the end of the bay has some snow on it, but it is mainly just blowing around. Big fear I have is that it will cover the really thin areas, such as the "current area" of the river that was open to beyond the Pavillion just a few days ago. Ditto with thin areas in and around bubblers.

[DRH]

DRH, What's the weather over your way today? Not seeing much talk of the storm here, wondering how or if it is building up on the ice at all? :confused:
Skip
We have not gotten much snow so far in today's storm. It's hard to give an accurate accumulation figure due to the blowing, but at this time I would estimate we have about 2" - 3" on the ground. Judging by the weather radar updates, the snow will probably taper off in the next couple hours. It's snowing heavily right now, so if the storm lingers we may get a few more inches. Most of us were hoping for a lot more snow! There really hasn't been any snowmobiling season here yet this winter.

[Skip]

...We have not gotten much snow so far ... There really hasn't been any snowmobiling season here yet this winter...

Ditto here, only put 75 miles on the new sled....I even splurged this season for a pair of Collett Communicators for me & the boss, they work great from the living room to garage!

My fear with this light covering is the eager beavers getting back out there and going through the ice again, like the scenario we had several weeks ago. Its been real bad up Pittsburg way, with a number of sleds into the water, especially around areas like upthesaukee just mentioned!

Supposed to warm up mid week but long range is for more very cold weather and possible stormy pattern commencing around the arrival of next weekend.

Still hoping to get enough snow/freeze to sled over the mountain and down to your bay to say hello to you & the missus, Mee-n-mac also owes me a tall tale & ale or two also....but we're quickly running out of winter here!

Stay warm,

Skip

[jrc]

You guys are going to have to come south. We've got at least 15" in Hollis and the cornfields are already buzzing with snow machines.

[Skip]

You guys are going to have to come south. We've got at least 15" in Hollis and the cornfields are already buzzing with snow machines.

That's what I've been seeing all day on the telly!

Maybe I'll have to bring the new sled to work tomorrow, work's just down the road from one of the Rockingham Junction trails....if the diehards haven't already blown the snow off the old rail beds already!:)

[gtxrider]

[QUOTE=DRH]We have not gotten much snow so far in today's storm. It's hard to give an accurate accumulation figure due to the blowing, but at this time I would estimate we have about 2" - 3" on the ground. Judging by the weather radar updates, the snow will probably taper off in the next couple hours. It's snowing heavily right now, so if the storm lingers we may get a few more inches. Most of us were hoping for a lot more snow! There really hasn't been any snowmobiling season here yet this winter.[/QUOTE

I think the babes have the steps down but their aim is off. Pull the snow north where it is supposed to be. Some areas around here got close to 2 feet of the white stuff. Record snow in New York City. Gee, perhaps they let snow mobiles in Central Park?

And of all days my snow blower gave me trouble. I'm up to my @#&:eek: in snow.

[upthesaukee]

Our yard is a little bit sheltered from the wind, and there was right at 3 inches in several locations in the yard at 7PM when I went out and shovelled. Of course, our plow guy doesn't plow until we get 4 inches, and of course he came by at 8!!!!! I knew I shudda waited!

[fatlazyless]

Here in Waterville Valley, where snow is spelled $now, all we got was about one inch or less. Just enough to cover the grass and leaves but not enough to reopen all the cross country ski trail's that have been closed for two weeks.

Yesterday, there were about five suv's and trucks about a half a mile out in Center Harbor Bay, out on the ice. Yesterday the ice was all solid, looking from South Bear Island to Governor's Island to Timber Island but no one was out on the ice.

Maybe Wal-Mart will volunteer to truck snow from Central Park, Manhattan to Waterville Valley just like they helped out the Katrina victims with medical supplies..........now that makes sense!

[pparisi133]

Thanks, DRH and Upthesaukee.....I was hoping for more promising news, but it is what it is. Yeah, it's probably Minge Cove Road. I'm not that familiar, but I know we park on a dead end and go onto the lake through a marina which I believe to be in Minge Cove. Then we shoot out between Sleepers and ?? to get to Rattlesnake. We've never had a problem before, but I sure don't want there to be a first time.

Thanks again.

[Island Girl]

We received a lovely snow cover of 15" in Clinton, MA yesterday.... and my sled is in NH.. who knew?

Be careful in Minge Cove... a dock bubbler at the end of the cove as you go into the channel is making the ice thin... additionally the inlet that runs into the side of Minge Cove is still pouring water in... making for moving water and thin ice on the side of the channel..

Basically the ice can be thin on both the left and right sides coming out of Minge Cove.

The Babes will try to redirect the dancing to ice making and very cold weather. The coming forecast is not promising so we are turning the music up louder and dancing faster!

IG and the Babes on Sleds

[Weirs guy]

Thanks DRH and UPTHESAUKEE for the pics of the open water, sure doesn't look that big from my place.

We got 1" of snow at the Weirs, maybe some of you guys from down south can bring up some this weekend, after Fridays forcasted rain that is.:emb:

[DRH]

We just finished clearing our driveway and stairs, and it appears we got about 2" on average here. Strange, as it snowed all day, but that's all it amounted to. Very light and fluffy.

[tricia1218]

Here in Northern MA, the same thing, the news reports 17 inches in my town, there is no way there is 17 inches of snow out there. All this talk about a blizzard, it looked more like light snow to me.

Maybe the coast caught the brunt of the storm, at most we had heavy snow for 30 minutes in the afternoon. I would guess less than 12 inches. Where are they measuring snow fall from, resenlty plowed banks?

[Island Girl]

With the forecast for this week, higher sun in the sky and large areas of open water I fear we will not have ice-in this year... then again... we could have an early ice-out... Brrrrr... cold nights at the camp in late March, chilly boat rides, burgers on the grill, Hot chocolate, Hot mint tea, Slingbox with Tivo, Hmmm .... this is beginning to sound good... Maybe the babes should be doing the ice out dance.

God Bless airboats!

[Island Girl]

I have not posted my weekend pictures of the lake conditions yet on Photopost, but some of them are here: http://islandgirl.smugmug.com/gallery/1197471

I hope to get to them this week but cannot promise anything. I will upload the rest to this site as all it is is a drag and drop. I do not see any reason for those holes to close this year... One can always hope.

IG

[pparisi133]

Thanks for the heads up, Island Girl. We decided we're going to recon it this afternoon. A couple of guys are going to go in from Minge Cove and go across to Rattlesnake on foot, provided they can get that far.
Before we bring the crew up, we figured we'd scout it out.

Thanks to everyone for the info....I'll post our results later this afternoon!! :cool:

[Island Girl]

Out between Cub and Sleepers and Rattlesnake was a circle of ice over ice sheets with open water in between... The ice out there is very variable and any snow cover from yesterday would mask that... I would not be going out there myself... The ice is not safe. This report was from an airboat.... I REPEAT... IT MAY NOT BE SAFE OUT THERE!!!!

[Grant]

Yes, there are a number of strange open spots remaining, although the deep cold over the past week or so has made a difference. I did some poking around this weekend, and here are some photos:

Trucks and bob houses on 19 Mile Bay - Friday afternoon:

http://i.pbase.com/g3/49/16149/2/56051649.IMG_1167.jpg

http://i.pbase.com/g3/49/16149/2/56051650.IMG_1169.jpg

Bubblers doing their duty at 19 Mile Bay docks:

http://i.pbase.com/g3/49/16149/2/56051651.IMG_1168.jpg

Ice ridge (and some open water from bubbler) forming from Wawbeek shore to Black Island (Camp Winaukee):

http://i.pbase.com/g3/49/16149/2/56051653.IMG_1171.jpg

Gunstock, bob house, thin ice:

http://i.pbase.com/g3/49/16149/2/56051655.IMG_1172.jpg

Gunstock viewed from Abenaki Tower:

http://i.pbase.com/g3/49/16149/2/56052071.IMG_1189.jpg

Melvin Bay toward Moultonboro Bay from Abenaki Tower:

http://i.pbase.com/g3/49/16149/2/56052074.IMG_1191.jpg

Previously viewed ice ridge grows after a night of cold:

http://i.pbase.com/g3/49/16149/2/56052097.IMG_1216.jpg

Ice boats and open water on Wolfeboro Bay:

http://i.pbase.com/g3/49/16149/2/56052307.IMG_1233.jpg

Yours truly on Chocorua Lake:

http://i.pbase.com/g3/49/16149/2/56052315.IMG_1250.jpg

The always majestic Mt. Washington:

http://i.pbase.com/g3/49/16149/2/56052656.IMG_1268.jpg

And the ice ridge continues to grow -- Saturday evening:

http://i.pbase.com/g3/49/16149/2/56053611.IMG_1277.jpg

[flyguy]

I did an "Ice Flight" on Jan 27, and another today, with Dave Emerson of Emerson Aviation. I'm sorry to report that there appears the be LESS ice today than there was three weeks ago! Dave's impression was that much of the ice is 2-3" thick (he should know).

Take a look at these two images, taken three weeks apart near Rattlesnake:

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=658&stc=1&d=1139867676
Jan 27th

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=659&stc=1&d=1139867689
Feb 13th

There's also a much larger hole at the east end of Meredith bay, north of the Weirs:
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=660&stc=1&d=1139867705

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=661&stc=1&d=1139867720

And some especially daring ice fisherman in Sanders Bay:
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=662&stc=1&d=1139867735

BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!

Bill

[Island Girl]

Thanks for the pictures... the ice report for the airboat people on Friday was mostly 6 inches from Minge Cove to the NW end of Rattlesnake with a lot of rifts and some water within the rifts.

Your pictures reveal how scary it is out there.

[Rose]

Here in Northern MA, the same thing, the news reports 17 inches in my town, there is no way there is 17 inches of snow out there. All this talk about a blizzard, it looked more like light snow to me.

Maybe the coast caught the brunt of the storm, at most we had heavy snow for 30 minutes in the afternoon.

Not sure where you are, but we measured 17.7 inches over the duration of the storm here in Townsend, MA. Between 7:35 and 8:30 in the morning, we got 3.5" of snow. The next hour, the snow rate was 2.5". Since it was very light, fluffy snow, it quickly compacts to nothing in a day.

[gtxrider]

Maybe I can load some of this in my truck and bring it to the lake this Saturday!;) So we can get a snowmobile ride!

[spotsink]

Thanks to all who have posted information on ice conditions, especially the photos from 19 mile bay.

Has anyone been out past Chase Point and over toward Cow and Little Bear? If so, what are things like out that way? We want to get out to check on out place but with ice conditions so variable were hoping for more information before planning a trip. :confused:

[Island Girl]

It is great that these pictures of lake conditions are all in one place. If you are posting pictures here and want them to also appear on the Ice-In page as well ( so everyone possible to know how dangerous it is out there, please send permission or pictures to rattlesnakecam@comcast.net. If the picture is in photopost (a great place to collect them, I can just link to them. Then they are all stored in one place for future reference.

Thanks

[pparisi133]

Hey Island Girl, you're right-on.....a consistent 6 inches from Minge to Rattlesnake (the north side). We walked across and chipped inspection holes as we went. South of Rattlesnake looks pretty scary, though. Great aerial photos. We'll be making a bee-line across this weekend and staying put at camp. No wondering this year :(

Weirs guy, I got $10 on 6 sleds/trucks through the ice this weekend....we can only hope no injuries/fatalities.....

[Island Girl]

Maybe it is time to put up the Ice-Out page... take a look at the WeirsCam... It's melting, it's melting....

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/cam/mpcamera1.jpg

[tricia1218]

so who would win ice out if there is not an ice in? :D

[upthesaukee]

If ice out occurs when the Mount can make it to all of its ports of call ice free, then I would assume (oh boy, that word again:rolleye2: ), the converse / inverse / reverse / like the opposite would indicate ice in, that is the Mount cannot make it to all ports of call because of ice.

Like most people, I certainly would rather have an ice in mean that the lake was totally frozen, but then someone would probably say "the Weirs channel is open" or the channel into back bay in Wolfeboro is open. I guess we can't win.:confused:

[webmaster]

so who would win ice out if there is not an ice in? :DAs upthesaukee said, the ice is IN now since the Mount can't travel between its ports.

It would seem that Ice-Out would be very early this year but we've seen in the past that ice blocking only one port can delay Ice-Out from being declared. In 2001 (May 2) there was already boating on most of the lake even though Ice-Out had not been declared because of ice blocking Wolfeboro.

Since the ice is officially in now there will definitely be Ice-Out contest (http://www.winnipesaukee.com/contests/2006/) winners!

[Merrymeeting]

but we've seen in the past that ice blocking only one port can delay Ice-Out from being declared.

We've also seen that March and April can be as "New Englandish" as the other months have been. If either or both prove to be unusually cold, ice out could be the about the same time as always.

I am always amazed when I look at the historical temps and averages how consistent Mother Nature can be.

[mg2107]

Are they really going to go ahead with the fishing derby this weekend?
Sounds like there may be alot of people going for unintentional swims or worse if they do have it.

[Weirs guy]

The ice at the Weirs is definitly shrinking from what we made up last week. Its 50° out right now, and its only supposed to be cold during the derby. If enough people go thru this weekend, we may have ice out by Monday.:confused:

[fasttech]

I just heard the Derby is off anyone no for sure?
Thanks

[Skip]

According to their official website, it is still a go....

Meredith Rotary Official Derby Page (http://meredithrotary.com/derby/)

Check it out....

Skip

[CHSLTD]

Just called to confirm that the web is correct and was told that the derby is a go. I hope that everyone uses their heads ans stay's safe. I wonder if local fire/ems have contingency plans for the ice situation? I am sure that there will be a cold water/ice rescue or two this weekend.

[Skip]

Yet another followup story in today's Citizen expressing official concerns for the dangerous ice conditions on Winnipesaukee.

Officials Warn of Ice Dangers on Big Lake (http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060216/CITIZEN0103/102160053/-1/CITIZEN)

Courtesy of the Citizen on-line site! :)

Skip

[mg2107]

It has the makings of a disaster

[secondcurve]

I know that the Derby is a big money maker and it is a great time. That being said, I find it somewhat irresponsible that the Derby is going forward this weekend. Couldn't it wait another week? Please be safe!

[gravy boat]

To any and all WinniDerby participants: Be safe and have fun!

Because of the thin ice, you may want to consisder traveling in pairs or more - the more, the merrier. Carry a cell phone. Don't drink too much -- be sure you can dial 911 and speak coherently should you need to do so. Maybe a long rope to help quickly retrieve someone from icy waters? Just some suggestions. Some things I would do....

Enjoy, but please be safe. Happy fishing!

Gravy

[Weirs guy]

My 2 cents for this weekends brave anglers:
I saw quite a few sleds last night out around spindle point and pitchwood island. Haven't been out there myself, but it looks like there may be some bobhouses too (could be houses on shore too, dang crappy binoculars :rolleye1: ). I'd stay away from Weirs bay though, theres still that big hole that tends to move from time to time.
Good luck, and stay dry!

[jaybat]

Hello All,

Have a good time this wekend if you're fishing in the derby or just enjoying the Lake. Be carefull as other folks have indicated. In reviewing a past posted message from FLAG on 2-10-06 he had a good idea for keeping safe. All but the style of Sun Glasses:laugh: Just fooling around with you FLAG.

Anyway, be safe, have fun, good luck to all fishing and enjoy the Great Outdoors.

Jaybat
Centeral Mass

[Cow Man]

The plan is for my son and I to x-country ski towing a toboggan with provisions from Harilla to Cow (Ragged side) tomorrow. His mother kinda likes him. Does anyone know if the ice is safe out that way? I was up a few weeks ago and there were no snowmobile or other tracks out there.

[Orion]

Just watched someone skimming the water on snowmobile on Abakee Cottages web cam. What the heck are people thinking?:eek:

http://65.175.179.62/

[KTO]

It's funny how in just a few more weeks we will be discussing ice out versus the ice in...what a weird winter!

[Mee-n-Mac]

We did a tour of the lake, from Alton to Meredith this Sat. First thing to say is ... man was it ever COLD ! The wind was merciless as well and because of the two I'd have to say only the most intrepid fishing folk were out on the ice. Relatively few bobhouses to be seen wherever we went. Got a few pictures to post when I can get some free space. Second there was lots of open water, especially off the Samoset condos and btw the Weirs and Spindle Pt. White caps crashing on the ice ... an unusual sight. Lots of trees and branches down on Meredith neck.

[Cow Man]

I had my doubts about the wisdom of this trip. Based on previous posts I knew that the ice was thin in many areas around the lake. Still, I reasoned that the recent cold snap might have changed the situation and I had no information about the Harilla to Cow Island area.
We have been visiting our camp in winter for many years and have never had any trouble. We are experienced and well prepared. We discussed the prospect of falling through the ice, proper self rescue techniques and brought along the tools we would need to handle an emergency.
The ride to Harilla encouraged me as I saw many snowmobiles, cars and trucks often parked near to one another in Center Harbor as well as a few in the vicinity of Trexlers. A local shop owner told me he thought the ice was safe in the area and an ice fisherman reported the ice as eight-inches thick.
We loaded up the toboggan and set out from Harilla on foot. I do not doubt that the fisherman was sincere, there probably was 8” immediately offshore around Long Island. But the ice got increasingly thinner and cracked, and being white an exact thickness was hard to gauge.
Approximately 100 yards from our camp at the Ragged Island side of the Hole in the wall, the ice began to crack with each step and we realized we had to abort. We cautiously worked are way back to the landing.
In my opinion, barring several consecutive days of sub zero temperatures the ice is not and will not be safe to walk on in the area between Ragged and Cow and extending one quarter the distance back towards Harilla this year.:( I expect I will be able to make the trip by boat by mid March.:D

[spotsink]

Sorry to hear you had to abort your adventure but also very glad you made it off the ice OK. It must have been very frustrating to be so close and not be able to reach your island.

We have been thinking about trying to get from 19 mile bay to Little Bear but have not tried it yet. 19 Mile Bay has numerous Bob houses on it along with trucks, ATV's and snow machines. I heard of a truck through the ice near Chase Point last week so I think the ice is questionable out that way...

I think you are correct in thinking you will be able to go by boat in the next four or five weeks... I think we will need to wait until then to check our place. :(

[Island Girl]

It is so good to be home here on Rattlesnake Island. The magnificient beauty of this place never ceases to awe me... and my most gracious hosts.

The ice is not safe. It is 1-6 inches in depth with open holes the size of a snowmobile.

There are a lot of rifts with water in them. Some areas are frozen nicely and others very thin... such as near the alligator on the Rattlesnake peninsula. The airboat went through the ice or made cracks along the way. There have been no snowmobiles or ATV out here on the broadside of the island... and with good reason.. The above freezing temps this week will not help things any either.

RG, your place looks fine after all that wind.

I am thinking early ice out as well... there will be a lot of debris as the ice is high against the docks and may pull them apart; ice houses have blown apart all around the lake as well.

I will try to post a picture or two..

IG

[Weirs guy]

All that wind on Friday pushed ice flows from the middle of Weirs bay into the docks by the peir, the open spot in the middle of the bay out towards Spindle point is huge. We saw a airboat Sunday morning, but other then that no ones been "brave" enough to venture out there, which is a very good thing. I expected at least one lost angler over the weekend. Looks like no ice in in the bay this year, but I'll be swimming in a month!

[Lake Fan]

This weekend we went from 19 Mile Bay to the south side of Whortleberry Island with a small snowmobile. There's a big pressure ridge from Chase Point all the way across to Whortleberry. OK to walk over. We found a safe spot get the sled across, but I don't think a truck could cross it. We had 14" of ice in most places. The ice was solid across to Little Bear and Cow. Very cold and windy for the weekend. Not may fisherman around out there. The fish must have been frozen also - we only got one 17" laker. Still had a lot of fun.

[trfour]

...even though we hav'nt had ice in on the lake this winter, I have never seen so many pressure ridges, thanks to all of the PhotoPosts and web cams here!

Weir'd Winter!! :rolleye1: :)

[Cow Man]

Does anyone sell those things North of Florida? I like to use my camp year 'round. After this winter's thin ice I'm thinking I might convince myself I need one!

[gtxrider]

Any day now it will look like this:

[Island Girl]

.... I will unwrap the boat and get it ready!! :laugh: :emb:

[Grant]

Any day now it will look like this:


I can only hope so. I found MAJOR dock damage last week when I was up there. It's going to be expensive to repair. Time for a bigger bubbler.

[trfour]

... the potential for more severe dock and shoreline damage this year due to the large areas of open water, as wind driven wave action could brake up thicker and heavier chunks of ice that normally have a chance to melt down before brake up. Also for all early season boaters, there could be a greater risk of collision with said dibree!!

Over the many years here I have seen many boaters going full tilt on Paugus Bay before ice out, only later to come into shore and ask me where the nearest fiberglass or prop repair shop was.

Be careful out there!

[Mee-n-Mac]

I can only hope so. I found MAJOR dock damage last week when I was up there. It's going to be expensive to repair. Time for a bigger bubbler.

Yup, I think QL is correct. I noticed a few docks up and down the shore from ours had already sustained ice damage this year. With all the freezing and unfreezing and resultant shifting ice, I predict buying stock in dock repair companies might be a wise investment. With the way the weather has been this year I can only hope the ice melts before we see winds like we had recently. No bubbler is going to prevent damage from a big floe on the move.

[Merrymeeting]

If the 10-day forecasts are to be believed, looks like we will be seeing ice formation just about the time all the school vacations end and everyone begins to shift into Spring mentality.

Temps looking to stay in the low 20's and teens during most of a 24 hour day, with few days going above freezing, if that.

With no snow to insulate things, the ice should grow and thicken over the next few weeks rather than the other way around. Looks like those ice-out guesses are still safe.

[Roche]

Hello,

Anyone know if it's safe to walk across the lake from the Rattlesnake Island Asso. parking area to Copland's Cove on the Island? We'd like to do our usual winter cabin check. Any info would be much appreciated! Thanks much. :)

The "Roche"s

[Island Girl]

Ice is melting off Rattlesnake, broadside.. See photopost picture I just put up.. more later

[Diamond Isle]

Island Girl,
How did it look for a crossing from Ames to Diamond?
Thanks for running this string - it's a great way to check the island without actually being there!!