If the month ended today, it would be the second warmest January in Northern Michigan in the last century. That’s why ice coverage on the Great Lakes is currently far lower than the historical average.
The Great Lakes are beginning the new year with ice coverage of just under 6 percent - about four times lower than the average for this time of year.
Michael Boguth is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gaylord. He said the lower ice coverage may result in more winter lake-effect precipitation and lower lake levels.
“We had a really cold spell for like three days centered on Christmas, and that was it," Boguth said. "Since then, we've been above normal almost every day. Those temperatures just aren't conducive to produce a good ice pack on the Great Lakes.”
The DNR and local law enforcement warn people to avoid traveling out on thin, unsafe ice.
To see historical and daily data of ice cover on the Great Lakes, visit NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory.
