The Smart Report: Still Ice on the Lake

Freedom—March 29, 2020—The lake level has been unusually high all winter and took a jump to just a few inches under the summer level of 407.25 feet ten days ago.

There continues to be a solid sheet of snow-covered ice on Broad Bay. The level today is down about 10 inches and continues to drop.

We have 3-5′ snow banks on both sides of most roads, and new snow about once a week. If history repeats, there should be a slow melt and discharge into the lake for another two weeks.

Looking back over the last ten years, “ice-out” has been in mid- to late-April, with last year being April 26.

Note: Ossipee Lake’s ice-out is declared when no ice remains on the lake or bays, while Winnipesaukee’s ice-out is when the Mt. Washington can go through the ice to reach all five docks of its normal travel. Usually that’s a week before Ossipee’s ice-out.

THINK SPRING!

Bob Smart (and family)

 

6 Comments

  1. Chris Elliot 5 years ago March 30, 2020

    The ice left our cove on Broad Bay Friday night. As a result we took advantage of warmer temperatures on Saturday to put in our canoe and paddled to mid Bay, near Sunset Cove. Given weather forecast for this week, it is doubtful we will be paddling any time soon. Driftwood is starting to appear.

    REPLY
  2. Fred & Pat Yardley 5 years ago March 30, 2020

    It’s so great to have news about the lake & nothing about the virus. Thanks for helping us look ahead.
    From Maryland

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  3. Pat Kaligian 5 years ago March 30, 2020

    Thank you for the information. Also love to read about
    Ossipee Lake.

    REPLY
  4. Chris Elliot 5 years ago April 4, 2020

    To all on the Lake and especially those on Broad Bay, please join me at 7 pm each evening and go outside to applaud for two minutes in our nation wide show of support for our health care workers and first responders.

    REPLY
  5. Steve Peterson 5 years ago April 4, 2020

    Could we get any more updates with the bridge work impacting access from Danforth to the “Big Lake”. Do we know if the plan is still in place, or hopefully pushed back a couple of weeks (hopefully after the 4th)?
    Just asking.

    REPLY
  6. Mark Eisener 5 years ago April 5, 2020

    The min lake lost all the ice on Friday some boats are out already.

    REPLY

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