[Merrymeeting]

Originally Posted by Resident 2B

This all has to do with the density of water. Pure water is most dense at 39.2 degrees F. When the water well below the surface goes over 39.2 degrees, it floats to the top slowly displacing the cooler water close to the surface. People call it flipping. Once the lake flips, the ice melts very fast from the bottom up. CLAs two probes, on his Black Cat weather site, clearly are showing this process yesterday and today.

I am now thinking this weekend will be ice-out, but I have been wrong before.

R2B

Thanks R2B.

While a bit detailed, a good description of lake flip, or turn over, can be found here.

http://www.waterontheweb.org/under/l...ification.html

In both cases, the phenomenon is very helpful to the ecology of the lake, bringing necessary nutrients up from the bottom of the lake, and mixing the oxygen levels.