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Ice-In/Out Reporting Form

LEA staff taking measurements on the ice of Sand Pond

LEA is collecting dates of ice-in and ice-out for our area lakes. If you’re a keen lake observer, we could use your help!

Ice-in date (also known as ice-on or freeze date) is when a lake is observed to be completely covered with ice (not counting skim ice that rapidly melts). Lakes can freeze and thaw multiple times in late fall before finally freezing over, and our big lakes often don’t freeze all at once. We are interested in both the initial ice-in date any mid-winter thawing events that result in partial ice cover.

Ice-out date (also known as ice-off or thaw/breakup date) is defined by the state as when you can navigate unimpeded from one end of the water body to the other, or by the National Snow & Ice Data Center as the date of last breakup observed before the spring open water phase. We are interested in both the last break up observed and any thawing events that result in partial ice cover.

Having both freeze and thaw dates lets us know ice cover duration, which impacts things like water levels, anoxia, and recreational use. Please help us collect this valuable data by reporting your ice-in/out observations in the form below. Thank you!

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