[CanisLupusArctos]

The ice is now melting rapidly. The sun is very strong now. Yesterday morning despite the below-normal cold Black Cat Shoals showed its first patch of open water since the lake froze. The melting has continued today, even in temps below freezing. The melting is taking place in shallow areas and around rocks. Today the lake water temperature at 2 feet down jumped up to 34.5 degrees, a sure sign that the melt is now quickly occurring.

Ice on south facing shores is now about a foot back from the shoreline. South facing shores are now snow-free to about 5 feet from the water and also where there is nearly constant sun exposure during the day. Snow depth in normal sun/shade mix is still 12 inches.

Today's dry air resulted in a good deal of sublimation, when snow or ice evaporates into the air without melting first.

Several more days of sunshine are ahead.

Here for your spring entertainment is the sun schedule for March, for Laconia. In 2 more weeks the sun will be rising a half hour earlier and setting 20 minutes later. The sun is now peaking at 45 degrees above the horizon each day and will peak at 53 degrees in 2 weeks. The sun is still rising and setting just south of due east/west. At the end of the month it will be rising and setting about 7 degrees north of due east/west. We now have 11 hours and 50 minutes of daylight (not counting civil twilight, when there is enough light for the average person to read.) In 2 more weeks we will have 12 hours, 40 minutes of daylight -- 50 more minutes of daylight added in the next 2 weeks. This process continues until the first day of summer.