We’re iced in!

The ice on Clear Lake was officially called “in” on Dec. 8, 2016 by Paul J. Fredriksen, superintendent of the Clear Lake Water Department.

The date appears to be about average for the winter occurrance.  According to city records, the latest date on record for the lake to be declared iced-in is Dec. 24, 2001.  The earliest date on record is Nov. 4, 1991, which many recall as the year of the Halloween blizzard.

Last year unseasonably warm weather was making the likelihood of a record “ice-in” date for Clear Lake a good bet.  But on Saturday, Dec. 19, temperatures dipped and the winds, which seemed to gust endlessly throughout November and December, decided to take a rest.

For those already looking forward to when an “ice-out” might be declared, the latest “ice-out” date was recorded on April 28, 1951; the earliest “ice-out” was March 5, 1931.