Ice
 

Any open water on lake?

Ha no. Still sleds running on 22 inches. Sleds even on broads Saturday

Warm Weather & Rain
 

Last night and today's warm weather and heavy rain will have a devastating effect on the ice especially the shoreline. Don't think you will see many people out there after today...

Dan

I always find it interesting that no matter how thick the ice gets, you can't predict anything. If the weather is warm and we have rain and wind, it changes the ice quickly.

We saw multiple sleds heading north past Rattlesnake on Saturday. Also saw 2 sleds racing a UTV down Alton Bay Saturday evening on our way to dinner. As we were driving by, we saw the back of the UTV drop down quickly and come to a screeching halt from probably 30mph. They sunk the rear in slush and weren't going anywhere.

Although there is plenty of ice still out there, this rain will wreak havoc on the surface and make much of the lake impassable. Probably still a month to go.

The view from Belknap Point today. The ice is just starting to darken.

Alan

Looks like more cold and snow coming this weekend and next week. Should thicken up again...

Refuse to accept your forecast. Yard raking in the morning


Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

It would be nifty
 

Is this the year? An ice-out contest win, finally?

I gave in to temptation and guessed my birthday since I am hitting the big 5-0.

April 17 here we go! Going to take more warmth than I see on the 10-14 day outlook, that's for sure...

Agreed
 

I agree as I don't see anything in the upcoming weather that would keep the ice from melting. Temps in the 40's and more rain in the forecast...a perfect storm to melt ice!!

Come on ice out!

Dan

If I can't remember my ice out guess and win, do I still get a prize?

Water Temps
 

As reported by DES at Weirs

Yesterday (3/19) the water temperatures hit the height of the season thus far at 41.5 and dropped to their highest low of only 34.5

The water is warming!

I miss Island Girl’s ice out thread…..:)

...however
 

...TODAY is the TOMORROW you worried about YESTERDAY!

Maybe you should grab the bull by the horns and resurrect that thread! [emoji6]

Sent from my Pixel 7a using Tapatalk

I noticed a few holes in the ice along Belknap Point Road and Scenic Drive in Gilford yesterday afternoon. I did see some open water along the Ellacoya State Park beach. I haven't checked Smith Cove or Glendale but will be by there sometime tomorrow.

The ice in Alton Bay is now out up to the public docks and quickly disappearing towards Shibley’s!

Starting to break up and pull away from south side of Rattlesnake - no ice eater

Attachment 18762

This is happening much quicker than I expected. It’s a slow melt, which is positive for those of us still on a dirt road. Mid April? Docks in late April?


Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

I drive by the Lily pond on the way through town today, it was actually further along than I expected. There was a good section of open water by the launch area along the road.

Today’s satellite image. Not the greatest resolution. Sebago Lake had a very quick ice out for most of the lake in the past 3 days.

Lily Pond was 45% open earlier today.


Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

Back Bay in Wolfeboro is ice free. Definitely looks like spring back there.

Just wondering: has the big lake ever melted and then refrozen over again in a cold snap?

I believe back in 1205 BC as documented by tree rings.

anyone have any eyes on Paugus bay?

Web Cam
 

Here's WOW Marines live feed on the channel if that helps...

https://winnisquammarine.com/webcams...ine-live-feed/

Dan

Thank you but unfortunatley the channel area does not reflect the bay

As of Sunday driving by Paugus Bay still looked locked in for the most part.

And this cold weather over the next two weeks won’t help the cause.


Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

Haven't read the entire thread, Just Remember that WINNI will be declared " Ice Out " 5 days after Lily Pond loses it's last piece of ice. Not sure why it is, but it is a very good equation.

Thinking this year the spread will be much larger. We still have the better part of a month to go on the lake I think, and Lily will be gone well before that.

Lily only had about 35/40% ice cover as of Monday mid morning.

Winnipesaukee Re-Freezing Evidence...
 

Tree ring data can be extrapolated from the European Alps; however, in support, I'd want to see ancient tree ring evidence from central New Hampshire.

You know that was a joke. Right?
Or are you making a funny too?

We are so far ahead of ice out on this year's thread, we're just getting silly. Take a nap and come back when Crystal Lake goes out. That's the 10 day harbinger. Anybody here from Peyton Place?

Lily
 

Lily pond is wide open!

So that means Winni in 7 or 10?

I wouldn’t take that bet this year.

Opening day for fishing- I saw 3 boats in Alton Bay on my way south this morning.

The Eastern has splashed however it is still ice all the way to Welch. Not that I am anxious.

Alan

any gauge any thicknesses anywhere around the lake. Saw some photos of Paugus Bay the ice looked very dark.

Ice out is IMMINENT!
 

The wind picked up here in Gilford and has cleared most of the ice out, whoa baby it might be declared today !!!

Yup, and one of the kayakers flipped and had to be rescued out of the water. Luckily there were other boats around to help him to shore.

Not funny! :D

I saw the Mount pull out of Center Harbor this morning with an ice breaking attachment on the bow. It looks like it is heading for all the ports of call so ice out might happen today April 1.

I'd never heard that it had such an attachment/

Can someone post a picture of the ice breaking attachment?

The ice has never gone out on April 1, right? And yakkers who go outr this time of year and need to be rescued should have a Hike Safe card or an equivalent program.

So, it looks like in 1945, it went out on April 1, based on the list that goes back to 1887 or so. That's the only time it was declared on April 1, and there have been a handful of March ice-outs (including last year's record earliest on St. Patrick's Day...)

Obviously my photo was from years ago and not today....thinking this year's real ice-out will be in about 16 days or so...

If it is, it looks like you would win the contest for the first time!

Lake Masebesic in Auburn is ice free. Does Lilly Pond in Gilford, still have ice?

Open Water
 

A large crack of open water has developed in the broads between Lake Shore Park and Welch Island! Get some wind on that and let’s get things moving!!

Dan

Heading back from work I was surprised how much things have changed since this morning. Ice is out to the bandstand in Alton, shorelines are pulling away rapidly and lots of strips of open water, extending down the bay to sandy point and beyond. Also, some holes opening up at the north end of diamond and at the mouth of Alton Bay.

Lake Masabesic in Auburn is open. I think Winni could be in about 2 weeks. How is Lilly Pond in Gilford looking?

Lily went out late last week.

Skied Gunstock today and from the top it looked as if Lake Wentworth is almost wide open, could that be a harbinger? The coverage at Gunstock by the way were still surprisingly good and there were very few skiers

Ice
 

The wind is breaking up the ice real nicely in the broads! Lots of open water spots appearing everywhere!

Boat should be in the water sometime next week!

Dan

Looking toward Welch from Belknap Point Rd, a mix if ice and water. A strong NW wind would clear that out. Tomorrow's moderate NH wind may or may not do it.

You can splash a boat at the Glendale docks but you can't get for. The bay is mostly ice.

Smith Cove looks free of ice.

Alan

Unfortunately you can’t get from Glendale to Smith Cove yet…maybe by tomorrow morning. If that’s the case I will be splashing my boat!

Dan

Drop it in at Fays. They have an honor system box at the launch for use during off hours. I have done that when Glendale was still iced but the marina was ice free.

It looks like the ice clusters at the Mount dock in Alton took a hit, one group of them is broken off and floating. The bay is coming along nicely.

Alton Bay from Echo Point looks almost clear as far as I can tell.

Attachment 18780


Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

Today it is about 50% ice between Belknap Point and Welch, large slowly shifting ice sheets. Probably not enough wind today to clear it out.

Glandale Bay is open.

Smith Cove appears to have ice blocking the entrance.

I was reading for Laconia 10-15mph winds today through Tuesday with 25-35 mph gusts

Weather forecast for the next few weeks looks awful for outside activities


Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

Looks like a few more daYs or.a week

First Boat Ride!
 

I just went for my first boat ride of the season to make sure my motors and fishing equipment were all working well.

Launched at Glendale….Lots of open water and made it half way to Welch before the ice showed up. From Glendale there is open water up Belknap Point to the Belknap Point Hotel and slightly beyond. Open water out beyond and North of Lockes Island about half way to Round Island. Heading West out of Glendale you can’t go far as the ice is still there as well as Saunders Bay. Had to bust through a tiny bit of ice in Smith cove to get to my slip but that should be all gone today.

And so it begins!

Dan

You win! Thanks so much for the update, Dan! This brightened my day.

This was taken Sunday afternoon from Spring Haven. A panoramic view of the ice. It's almost there.

Alton Bay is passable from end to end. The remnants left can be skirted around and should disappear in the next day or two.

Winnisquam is clearly opening up quickly


Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

Nail biting time as I see heavy winds from NW this evening which means my dock is in direct line of fire. Has the remaining ice softened into a slush or candle ice yet?

Wide open here at the northern end of Winnisquam. Surface ice is making its way down from the loon island area. Don’t see anything that may do damage, but you never know. But, do see a few larger branches floating around


Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

3X photo looking toward Welch from Belkap Point. That is part of a continuous line of ice sheets extending NW past Lockes toward Timber and SE toward the Broads. Otherwise all looked clear.

Alan

Large area is open in the Broads as seen on Snake Eyes

Ice
 

We have a webcam. I watched as our dock buckled as the floes came in. We have to put in the kind that lift up. I am going broke fixing rocks.


Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

Ice
 

With respect to "ice out", just remember that 'Father Time' and 'Mother Nature' are two immutable forces that no one has (ever) been able to outlive nor outwit.

Ice is moving all over the lake . I was out trolling off the Weirs yesterday 4/7/2025
 

Huge movement and soft ice flows all over the Lake. Ice should be out in next day or two. I saw a Pontoon boat plowing through the very soft ice out in the middle of Weirs Bay.

WINNI BOB

There is more ice visible from Belknap Point this morning than there was yesterday. It is drifting down from the NW. 17 to 18 mph WNW wind forecast for overnight.

Alan

My personal web cam at the weirs - free
 

YOU MAY USE MY "NEST" WEB CAM (IT IS AT WEIRS BEACH: AND FACES WEST, LOOKING DOWN TOWARDS MERIDITH) ..BY, SIMPLY, ENTERING, OR CLICKING ON THIS MRL ADDRESS...

https://video.nest.com/live/Me8JpsyLhc

Nice. Thank you for sharing- even if it wasn't meant for all of us.

yep! It's meant for everyone.

Have ice out been declared?


Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

nope...not yet.

Five more days, around noon time.

Darn, missed my ice-out Guess day which was today 4/10/25 :(
I think next week will be time ???

Progress?
 

Any update on the ice?

Its still icy...

I was in Meredith yesterday, there is still ice down by Church Landing and Meredith Marina. Not sure how far south it extends. The camera in Center Harbor still shows what looks like a fair amount present as well.

Center Harbor
 

The Center Harbor Ice took a real hit yesterday. Not much left.

Ice Out called 4/16 at 7:51am
 

Emerson called it today 4/16/25 at 7:02am!

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1HV...ibextid=wwXIfr

Not to be picky but I saw 7:02. So guess if anybody is keeping an official score of when Emerson calls it, we need to straighten this out. :)

Ice out/boats in!

I had tomorrow - this is the closest I have come to getting it right!

Arrrrrgh. I had tomorrow too, Garcia. Surely the two of us can’t be wrong. I declare fake iceout. Call in the investigative authorities.

I had 15th

Wow Garcia and Winilyme, I ALSO had tomorrow...maybe the remaining ice in Roberts cove will move over and block Alton Bay and he'll reconsider....?!!?

Think spring everyone, woo hoo! I can already taste the beer and barbecues to come...

I think I had the 15th at Noon.

So only off by 19 hours and 2 minutes.

so close. My guess was 1:36PM today. Missed by only around 5 hours...closest ever for me.

Enjoy the open water everyone!