MINNEAPOLIS - The wacky weather this spring has Minnesota lakes seeing record late ice-outs, and more could be set this weekend.
According to the DNR, declaring a lake ice out varies from lake to lake.
"For the citizen observers reporting data, ice out occurs when the lake is completely free of ice. Or, it may be when it is possible to navigate from point A to point B. Ice out may also be when a lake is 90 percent free of ice," the DNR states. "Observers use consistent criteria from year to year when reporting lake ice out dates."
Lake Phalen was declared ice free on Tuesday, beating its previous latest ice-out date of April 28, 2013. In Minneapolis, Bde Maka Ska also got the all clear on ice Tuesday, and had the same previous record of April 28, 2013.
Going a bit further back in the history books, ice out is still being watched on the metro area's largest lake, Lake Minnetonka.
Typically, the median date is April 14.
However, it can't be declared ice-free until all the lake's bays and channels are fully navigable, even if some ice remains, according to the Freshwater Society.
That means, Lake Minnetonka could break a long-standing record that dates back to May 5, 1857.
Other lakes that have yet to be ice-free include White Bear Lake, Prior and Waconia. Their records are, as follows:
Lake Waconia: May 1, 1965
White Bear Lake: May 4, 1950
Prior Lake (Upper and Lower): April 29, 2013
For a map of the MN lake ice out dates, click here.
