Ice-covered Lake Winnipesaukee, February 2010, looking north towards the Sandwich Range

Lake Winnipesaukee Ice-Out occurs when all the ice on Lake Winnipesaukee, the largest lake in New Hampshire, has broken up after winter. Over the years this has been decided upon by a variety of means; as of 2018, Dave Emerson makes the call.[1] Emerson flies two to three times a day over Lake Winnipesaukee to check on the ice. Ice-Out is declared when the MS Mount Washington can make it to every one of its ports: Center Harbor, Wolfeboro, Alton, Weirs Beach and Meredith.[2] It is also considered the unofficial start to the boating season[2] as well as the end of winter[3] in New Hampshire. The earliest recorded ice-out occurred in 2016 on March 18, beating out the previous records of March 23, 2012 and March 24, 2010. The latest ice out occurred in 1888 on May 12.[4]

Because the Ice-Out designation is based on the judgment of one person, it is unscientific. The call does not mean that the lake is entirely devoid of ice, nor does it mean that the MS Mount Washington actually does go to each of its ports. It simply means that it is believed that the ship could.[3]

History

Ice-Out records have been kept since 1887 as a way to keep track of when both commercial and passenger transportation lanes became usable in the lake. In 1974, Dr. William K. Widgert compiled data from known records to create a list of past dates.[4]

Originally the Ice-Out designation was decided by people on shore. Later, for roughly 50 years, the call was made by Bob Aldrich, then, starting in the early 1980s, it was called by Alan Emerson. Since his death in 2002 it has been exclusively called by his son Dave, except in 2003 when it as declared by flight instructor Steve Sydorwicz.[3] [5]

Ice-Out has occurred earlier on average in the last two decades of the 20th century and the first of the 21st century than in preceding decades.

Contests

There are two contests where the public can bet on when Ice-Out will occur on the lake. One is run by Public Service of New Hampshire and the other by Winnipesaukee.com.[6]

Ice-Out dates

A chart detailing the cumulative number of all past Ice-Outs on each date
Year Ice-Out date
1887 May 7
1888 May 12
1889 April 14
1890 April 24
1891 April 23
1892 April 11
1893 May 10
1894 April 20
1895 April 26
1896 April 23
1897 April 23
1898 April 14
1899 May 2
1900 April 26
1901 April 20
1902 April 4
1903 April 2
1904 April 29
1905 April 24
1906 April 26
1907 April 29
1908 April 21
1909 April 19
1910 April 6
1911 May 2
1912 April 23
1913 April 17
1914 April 15
1915 April 24
1916 April 16
1917 April 28
1918 April 24
1919 April 14
1920 April 24
1921 March 28
1922 April 17
1923 April 24
1924 April 18
1925 April 10
1926 May 2
1927 April 13
1928 April 19
1929 April 18
1930 April 7
1931 April 11
1932 April 20
1933 April 25
1934 April 21
1935 April 21
1936 April 8
1937 April 25
1938 April 17
1939 May 4
1940 May 4
1941 April 16
1942 April 18
1943 April 30
1944 May 3
1945 April 1
1946 March 30
1947 April 24
1948 April 10
1949 April 8
1950 April 20
1951 April 14
1952 April 20
1953 April 3
1954 April 16
1955 April 19
1956 May 3
1957 April 3
1958 April 13
1959 April 26
1960 April 19
1961 April 27
1962 April 24
1963 April 20
1964 April 28
1965 April 22
1966 April 20
1967 April 20
1968 April 15
1969 April 25
1970 April 28
1971 May 6
1972 May 2
1973 April 16
1974 April 17
1975 April 25
1976 April 17
1977 April 21
1978 April 27
1979 April 25
1980 April 17
1981 April 5
1982 April 29
1983 April 10
1984 April 20
1985 April 14
1986 April 16
1987 April 12
1988 April 16
1989 April 25
1990 April 22
1991 April 8
1992 April 21
1993 April 22
1994 April 23
1995 April 15
1996 April 17
1997 April 24
1998 April 7
1999 April 8
2000 April 10
2001 May 2
2002 April 5
2003 April 25
2004 April 20
2005 April 20
2006 April 3
2007 April 23
2008 April 23
2009 April 12
2010 March 24
2011 April 19
2012 March 23
2013 April 17
2014 April 23
2015 April 24
2016 March 18
2017 April 17
2018 April 26
2019 April 24 [7]
2020 April 6
2021 April 5
2022 April 8 [8]
2023 April 8 [9]

[4]

References

  1. ↑ Rick Green (April 25, 2018). "Waukewan is ice-free; Winnipesaukee, not quite". Laconia Daily Sun. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  2. 1 2 Amsden, Roger (March 24, 2010). "Lake Winnipesaukee ice-out is earliest on record". New Hampshire Union Leader. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 Brooks, David (March 31, 2010). "Is this hot trend? Lake ice-out gets earlier". Nashua Telegraph. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 Beach, Mildred (April 8, 2010). "Ice Out and What It Means". The Weirs Times. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
  5. ↑ Insider Staff (April 25, 2003). "This week in Concord history". Concord Monitor. Retrieved April 25, 2003.
  6. ↑ Koziol, John (April 15, 2009). "Ice Out contests are winners with public". Laconia Citizen. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
  7. ↑ "Ice Out officially declared on Lake Winnipesaukee at 5:24 a.m. Wednesday".
  8. ↑ "Ice out declared on New Hampshire's Lake Winnipesaukee".
  9. ↑ "Ice out declared on New Hampshire's Lake Winnipesaukee". WMUR. 2023-04-08. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
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