Ice has already formed on three of Michigan's Great Lakes ...the earliest it has in at least 40 YEARS
- By November 20 Lake Michigan and Lake Superior were half a per cent covered in ice and Lake Huron was one per cent covered in ice
- Lake Superior was the first lake to show signs of hardening and began freezing on November 15
- The Great Lakes typically don't begin freezing over until the beginning or middle of December
Winter is a little less than a month away but ice is forming on three of Michigan's Great Lakes, the earliest it has in at least 40 years.
While Michigan's monumental waters don't normally begin freezing over until the middle of December, three of Michigan's Great Lakes have already begun forming ice, according to a report by the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory.
By November 20 Lake Michigan and Lake Superior were half a per cent covered in ice and Lake Huron was one per cent covered in ice.
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Goodbye fall: Ice has appeared on the shores of Lake Superior a full 10 days earlier than last year and ice is already forming on three of Michigan's Great Lakes
Frigid: If temperatures remain cold, this year could be another record breaker for ice coverage for Lake Superior, pictured a few weeks ago
Freezing over: This satellite image shows the ice that's already begun forming on Michigan's Great Lakes
Lake Superior was the first lake to show signs of hardening and began freezing on November 15, almost a month before it typically begins to glaciate.
Lake Erie still shows no signs of icing over.
Mlive.com reports that coverage of early freezing dates back to 1973 but that last Friday was the earliest that all three Great Lakes began to show signs of ice for at least four decades.
ABC reports that last winter’s cold temperatures, a cooler than normal summer, and a blast of arctic air allowed for the ice to form on the lakes early for the second year in a row.
Last winter’s frigid temperatures lead to the second highest ice coverage for the Great Lakes as a whole.
Lake Superior was also covered in ice for the longest time it ever has been and last year showed the second largest ever ice coverage.
In 2013, ice appeared on the lake on November 25 and didn't melt until June of 2014 meaning Lake Superior only went five and a half months without any ice on the water.
Lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron showed ice 10 days earlier this year than last year.
Temperatures over the next few months will determine whether or not the lakes will remain frozen for as long as they did last year.
ABC reports that the next few days show lower than normal temperatures in the Great Lakes region which will only contribute more to the ice.
Ice forming: As of November 20 Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, and Lake Huron already showed signs of ice formation almost a month before usual
Beginning to glaciate: By November 20 Lake Michigan and Lake Superior (pictured) were half a per cent covered in ice and Lake Huron was one per cent covered in ice
Record freezing: Ice is already starting to develop on Michigan's Great Lakes and this is the earliest ice on some of the Great Lakes in at least 40 years
Record Ice coverage: Lake Superior was covered in ice for the longest time it ever has been and last year showed the second largest ever ice coverage and has been ice free for just five and a half months
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