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Warm weather starts ice-breaking season for Great Lakes

"Great Lakes in January" by NASA Goddard Photo and Video is licensed under CC BY 2.0

The warm weather means it’s ice-breaking season on the upper Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes peaked at 46% ice coverage this Winter.

That’s typical and more than last year says Mark Gill who breaks it up for the US Coast Guard.

“But our ice is very thin,” said Gill.

Gill says that’s likely from a combo of the warm winter plus a late arctic blast in January and February.

The US Coast Guard will break up sheets along the Saint Mary’s River and Pipe Island Channel this month.

They’re set to finish by March 24th when the Soo Lock reopens for the shipping season.