A Great Freeze in the Great Lakes
Just how cold has it been in the Great Lakes this winter? Cold enough that I'm actually blogging about ice instead of telling sailing stories. And cold enough to produce more ice coverage over the inland seas than has been seen in the last 20 years. Believe it or not, that's good news for Great Lakes sailors who were ailing during last summer's historic low water levels. As of the beginning of 2014, Great Lakes water levels were still about one foot below average despite the above average rainfall last summer. The above average ice on the Great Lakes this winter should translate to reduced water loss from evaporation and allow water levels to continue recovering. Great Lakes ice cover for February 12, 2014 (White is actually open water, while grays/blacks are ice) The all-time record for total ice coverage on the Great Lakes was set in 1979 when 94.7% of the lakes were covered. The record low ice year was 2002 when just 9.5% of the Great Lakes surface was