There must be secondary factors also.
The lake doesn't develop ice evenly; nor do the two lakes that are relatively near each other develop ice at the same rate.

Winnisquam was pretty wide open today. I didn't go by Opechee, but I think Saturday morning that it was iced over. Hard to tell with low visibility that morning.

Monday, January 15 is the first day of a forecast ten-day cold snap with temps in the 10-25 degree range.

On January 14 the Lake Winnipesaukee water temp was 37-degrees as reported by the Winni Marine website that's located in the Weirs channel. Lake water needs to be 34-degrees at the surface in order to freeze and become solid ice.

On January 14 there was absolutely no shoreline perimeter ice, anywhere, in the vicinity of Horse Island, or anywhere looking across to Bear or Mark Island.

Meredith Bay close to the big stop-lights intersection, has an area of ice between the island at the Meredith Bay Yacht Club and across the bay where the ice hockey tournament is staged to the town dock on the right, close to the Town Docks restaurant.

Snow tomorrow... so that would insulate from the colder temps.

Squam looked ice over today

Methane in Ice?
 

Suppose you dont like how the ice looks?
Brief video:

https://youtube.com/shorts/6AtMgF5fP...0uK8LAbHbsgjMY

:offtopic: (somewhat).

;)

That is pretty cool, science is awesome

..... slice through the ice, recreational boat.
 

As of yesterday, January 15th, while removing my dock, am still seeing some recreational motorboats out there between south Bear Island, Mark and Timber Island making wakes just like the summer time plus it was a beautiful sunny day. Saw a 20' center console and a 20' pontoon a couple different times during the day. I imagine they soon pay good attention to the soon-to-be-here ice formation so's they don't get iced in, somewhere out there?

Was unable to see if it had the red 2024 bow sticker ..... too far away?

A 20' vee hull can probably cut through one inch of ice without much problem while moving up on plane at 20-mph. For a 20' pontoon boat the ice cutting dynamics are probably not too good, and it would just slowly move forward at 5-mph, or something, and smash through the ice similar to a construction barge.

Somewhere in Poland, Latvia or Sweden, maybe they build a 20' recreational boat designed with a strengthened vee hull, designed to cut into and through the ice like a can opener!

This is interesting….with the melting of the permafrost, huge quantities of methane are being released…can we capture it and use it?

It might cost more than the value of the methane on a commercial level, but I am sure that innovative residents nearby could capture and use it.

But other releases are sudden and hard to detect until after the fact, and probably too hard to capture.... https://www.pbs.org/video/arctic-sinkholes-9jwenj/

Emerson Aviation Update
 

We shared this on FB yesterday from Emerson Aviation

"It's been a very slow start to the Winter season on Lake Winnipesaukee. only some thin ice in the lower portion of Alton Bay, in and near the Meredith Town Docks and only 50% of the Moultonboro Back Bay area. Colder temperatures are forecasted for the remainder of the week. That will allow many of the bays and coves to freeze but we need near or sub zero temps to get "ice in". We'll see."

....... 37 - 36 - 35 - 34 ...... ice-in!?
 

Wednesday, Jan 17; so, the water temp sensor at 'Winni Marine-live feed' in the Weirs channel has dropped one degree from 37 to 36 in the last two days. For Lake Winnipesaukee to ice-in, big time, it needs to get down to 34! ....... :eek2:

Just got me freak'n dock all out ...... a killer freak'n tough task ...... on freak'n Monday ....... ho-ho-ho! ..... :D

The bottom aerial photo in that LWA post shows our old shore, and you can actually see a cluster of pilings that the new owners placed offshore to help with the annual ice damage. The cluster is so big and so randomly placed (NOT adjacent to the dock/boathouse), that I was surprised they got permission to have it installed.

Curious Biggd if you got up there yesterday?


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I'm here, Waukewan is frozen and snow covered, I even saw a couple of people Ice fishing about 50' from shore, not sure if I would trust it. I haven't been by Meredith bay yet but I think Waukewan will be a go with this stretch cold weather leading up to the hockey tournament

Thanks


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Stingray - What division are ya'll? We are coming in from Wisconsin for the 30+ division and have been monitoring it closely. Drinks on us!

According to IceHoles, they are going to start putting out Bob Houses on the lake this Saturday. Weather looks great, hoping the IceOps crew can get out there and start their work.

Have seen people skating on 6+ inches in coves on Squam Lake already this week. Looks like most of the coves are locking up nicely.

Also, for what it is worth, rumor is one of the backup plans was flooding the local municipal airport!

I went through Meredith today. About 1/2 of the visible area of the lake was skimmed over and the rest was open water. There is ice near the docks but it is open where the circulators are working.

Safe travels and have a great tournament. We are old f’s +50 Shinny. Ready for them to roll out a +60 a few years ago.


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Methuen Goons here. Mostly old and a couple of young ones. We play in Duster so we don't have to worry about playing on Sunday (although we don't have to worry about that anyways).

Last evening Winnisquam appeared to freeze over here at the northern end. With the cold weather hanging around and a light snow coming after that we cold be ice fishing next weekend


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It is pretty cold.
Not supposed to really warm up until Thursday (45 predicted).

Was over the lake this morning, I would estimate about half skimmed. Saw some ice fishermen near the Meredith docks around 730 am, they were gone at 1130.

Wolfeboro conditions today
 

Wolfeboro bay has skimmed over, with a section of open water size of a basketball court where back bay dumps water in. Town docks is chunky due to bubblers…

https://ibb.co/TBk7zvP

<a href="https://ibb.co/TBk7zvP"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/WW6MSxB/AD96-FCC1-D773-4-C4-D-BC7-F-EC1-DF142-B8-D1.jpg" alt="AD96-FCC1-D773-4-C4-D-BC7-F-EC1-DF142-B8-D1" border="0"></a>

Winter Harbor has a small bit of open water out from the beach, but it is largely skimmed…

<a href="https://ibb.co/dW4YHdK"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/h7FzTP8/A32-A6-C80-8898-4-BC8-B6-EF-ADB3-F24-A33-B6.jpg" alt="A32-A6-C80-8898-4-BC8-B6-EF-ADB3-F24-A33-B6" border="0"></a>

Thirsty Turtles I and II coming from Boston next week. They think they are going to get bobhouses on meredith bay this weekend? or Waukewan. I feel we will probably be on waukewan again. cold weekend but going to be hard to get 4" of ice in meredith bay without a few more days like that.

Meredith town docks thick enough for ice fishing? or only in close to shore?

Has lily pond frozen over yet? This is usually an indication that winnipesaukee will freeze over in 7- 10 days

Its been single digits for temperature the last 4 mornings so it should growing ice out there fairly quickly and not too windy either.

There were many ice skaters on Lily Pond this morning. Glendale Bay is still open,

Alan

They were staking off Waukewan this morning when I drove by about 9am.

for pond hockey classic or something else

Pond Hockey.

bummer. was hoping it could happen on meredith bay. been a few years. oh well, at least it's happening

I think they stake off the area early to keep the ice huts off the area where they are going to set up. Meredith bay doesn't look good as of today.

Roger that. Long term forecast isn't great but seems like waukewan has plenty of thickness to make it through a mild stretch. hope for the best after this upcoming week

Ice
 

From my vantage point overlooking the lake, there is no ice whatsoever in the broads from Lockes Island to Parker island and I’m sure beyond. The wind is definitely a factor in why ice is not forming. White caps everywhere!

I can clearly see ice in the channel where nipple rock is going past Bear towards Center Harbor.

We need cold windless nights for ice to form!

Dan

This weekend Lilly Pond was busy with ice fishing from a LOT of CT people. And today the dirt bikes had their course plowed and they were riding around.
I'm curious about why you feel that the lake freezes 7-10 days after Lilly pond? Have never seen that happen at all. Ice out a week or 2 after, but not ice in. Just curious on how you got to that indication?
Paugus Bay down at the end near T-bones looked ice locked in, I couldn't tell you how thick, I wouldn't be out there, but I didn't notice any water when I drove by quickly.

Meredith Bay
 

Saw two tents on Meredith Bay ice fishing today.

Very windy here today, gusts to 40mph up on the hill. Wide open water and whitecaps out front. Alton Bay is frozen to the mouth, they are reporting 4-6” down by the pavilion. A fair amount of activity on the ice today. A bit too early for me!

Ice Fishing Tents
 

There were 2 tents out in front of us today a few hundred feet west of flasher 12. They were gone by 3pm. Surprised to see them.

Pic from yesterday by the ramp at Lake Waukewan. Can see the stakes Biggd mentioned if you zoom in

Attachment 18375


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