Official Ice-Out 2014 Thread
 

This is the official 2014 Ice-Out Thread. If you reply to this thread all of the information about this year's ice-out will be easily accessible to our forum friends.

Post your observations, concerns, pictures and whatever else comes to mind re: ice-out. Did I say pictures? We love your pictures.

The Ice-Out page is up at http://www.rattlesnakecam.com/iceout.htm. There you will find all of the images to watch the ice melt as well as links to special ice out features such as Saunder's Bay daily picture with information about previous year's ice out. (I will post link when it is available)

Ice-out has occured in recent years from 39-41 degrees as reported by the Winnipesaukee Dataphone at the Lakeport Dam.

Many anticipate a late ice-out this year, so we need some rain dancers... and some warming up to prove them wrong. :D


Island Girl

....... Make Lemonade

Let me be the first to post, there is still a lot of ice out there :rolleye2:

However it's amazing how much the ice receded around the docks at Sheps just between Saturday and Sunday. It's definitely started.

27 inches reported on 19 mile bay today....

I was thinking you were waiting until April 1st.....just because you could....

Trek out to Bear Island tomorrow
 

Should I wear a life vest? After all this rain and higher temps - has this made a dent in the ice at all? :rolleye1:

The shoreline is probably the questionable part, if you can find a place to get on and off the ice you should be OK. Always a good idea to wear your ice picks when venturing on to the ice.

thanks BIS - a new adventure every day - that's what keeps us young :laugh:

http://i44.tinypic.com/1499wms.gif Frosty, I just noticed that you are fairly new to posting on the forum and glad you have joined us. Have fun and enjoy the Winni Forum while making many new friends.

Where there is a will there is a way to do it. Just do it safely and enjoy yourself doing it. I heard from ice fishermen that the ice is still very thick close to 18".:)

Have fun

http://i54.tinypic.com/2e56yqf.gif

Regardless of the date, with two-plus feet of ice offshore on April 1, there's gonna be some sizeable 'bergs moving around and causing all sorts of dock damage.

I'm just hoping we see Ice Out before June!

I hope I'm wrong, but we could see a lot of damage over the next few days.

Going outside, the sound of rushing streams is everywhere. The dog can't figure out what's going on. She just stands there and keeps looking around trying to figure out what it is and where it's coming from.

Unfortunately, this means the lake levels will probably start rising quickly, while everything is still locked in 24+ inches of ice.

Let's hope the edges and rocks open up as quickly.

In the 24 hrs prior to 10:00 AM 3-31-2014...
 

The lake has only risen by about an inch and a half in that 24 hr period. Perhaps by not getting as much rain as had been predicted, damage caused by the lake rising while still ice covered will be minimal.

Back to ice out itself. ;)

Still Solid
 

April 1st and still solid as a rock on Welch island. No signs of melting anywhere around my dock or the edges even after all this rain...:emb:

WOW, What a difference in less than a week.

Ice Color
 

I have only been watching ice for 14 years.... young compared to some of you. It has been my observation that the color of the ice in the spring tells a lot about the condition of the ice. A foot of gray punky ice can go very fast with a little rain, some warm temps and wind. The crystals bang against each other and dissipate.

The lake can appear to be socked in, but a very dark gray and then be completely liquid in two days. This happened about 6-7 years ago when the great predictor said it would be two more weeks and it was two more days.

While I agree that we will be later than average this year.... I am watching the color as an indication over thickness. Now.. if I saw two feet of solid black ice... I would be thinking June! :coolsm:

Ice Color
 

Yes IG color does give us a good hint as to what is going on. I have posted this in prior years, from Minnesota but lake ice is lake ice. It is normal for the last stage go quickly with a strong wind, leaving those clinking "ice candles". We are quite a ways from that but lots of bright sunny days can make quick work.

http://www.minnesotawaters.org/group...lake-ice-melts

Melt melt melt
 

Panorama looking south across Paugus Bay. Christmas and Pixie Islands on the left and the start of the Weir's canal on the right.

More progress...;)

Clinking Ice Candles
 

I just love that clinking sound... for the lovely sound it makes and for the promise it brings.

Silver Sands should be up soon...
 

Barry Uicker just tweeted out the Silver Sands daily picture...

http://nhboat.com/Nhboat/Features/ice/ice-out2014.htm

Hahaha -- I was checking almost daily, and just saw it was up and was going to post it here. One of my favorite annual sites...

Ice out?...I'm not waiting
 

Since today was my first official day of retirement and my 47th trip around the sun, I figured I wasn't going to wait for ice out to enjoy the lake.
Life's too short...bring on the summer fun!!!:cool:

You are too funny, PBFF! Did you get wet at all?

Where's your life vest? :laugh:

Happy Birthday!!!
 

Oh Ya!!! Looks AWESOME!!! That's the best picture of you I've ever seen!!! Happy Birthday you old bastard. I still have 3 on you!!

The Breeze
Wave 'cuz i'll be wavin' back:D

nice!!!!
 

PBFF - congratulations on retirement and your bday, what a perfect way to celebrate both! I am soooooooooo envious :)

cheers, and bring on ice OUT -PIG

I'll be snowmobiling tomorrow while I wait for ice out and you're drinking a beer while floating on the only open patch of open water there is on Winni.................I wanna party with you!!

I'll be dumping the jetski's in on saturday

photo contest entry?
 

Congrats on retirement! Great picture. If you have a Facebook account, you might want to enter the picture in the Common Man's "Show us some SPRING" contest.

I know some don't want to hear it, but the Lakes region has the chance of a bit of snow and sleet tonight.

According to the Lakeport Dam data phone the water temp has risen to 37degrees. Hoping that this will start to melt the lake from the bottom up. :)

Last year today we were at 38-39 degrees, so not too far off...lots more to melt this time.

Saw your photo on WMUR's U Local. It was on the 5:00 news. What a great photo!

I was on a coffee ride and just saw two guys in a small aluminum boat chopping away at strips of ice coming out of the Weir's canal behind Liliuokalani's Ice Cream. They were able to cut two strips in half, not sure why.

I did notice the ice is melting nicely heading south through the canal towards Paugus. I'd say it melted a good 300 yards since yesterday with a large area of dark ice pointing south.

Lily Pond is still locked in from coast to coast. Lily can be a good compass for the big lake. I think Lily is usually 10 days ahead of Winni.

There doesn't seem to be much change in the past week for most of the ice pack, and I'm surprised that the ice isn't receding much from the rocks along much of the shoreline.

But I suspect that there may be changes happening underneath that we can't see. I.e., melting from the bottom up.

The last ice fishermen in front of my house last weekend reported 25-26" of ice. Now that the season is over, anyone out there with an auger who can periodically report for us? (as long as it remains safe to be on the ice)

Wolfeboro made NJ paper
 

Our local paper The Record (which covers Bergen & Passaic counties) in northern NJ has a picture of interest each day on Page 2. On Wed. the attached AP photo of Opening Day in Wolfeboro, NH was featured. Made me homesick.

http://i511.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps1bc30fe0.jpg


This evening 4/5

The ice is very thick. even on the edges in front of the weirs and in paugus bay. over a foot. BUT the ice is melting from the sun, you can see the air bubbles.....Another week or two

I saw/heard you heading onto the bay between my house and Pixie Island just around 6 tonight. (unless that was two other nuts!);)

That was me! Beautiful evening on the water.

While there has been some melting during the afternoons this past week, it's gone below freezing each night and everything locks up again. It's going to be a slow process...

I hope the melting from below is going faster

Sleepers Island
 

Does anyone know what ice is like from Smith Point Marina in Alton to Sleepers Island?

I have a client that wants to see a property out there on Tuesday morning.

Any help advice is appreciated!

Smitty

Glenn Smith
Bean Group
603-233-7226