The gales of November moved into the area on Nov. 19-20 bringing freezing temperatures, a little snow and of course, those high winds.  

By the week of Thanksgiving, more winter-like temperatures were the norm with Thanksgiving weekend seeing high temperatures only in the 20s and night-time low in the teens and even single digits.

While many area ponds and shallow lakes were ice-covered the week before Thanksgiving, Lake Minnewaska held on to its open water through Thanksgiving.  But night-time temperatures in the single digits on Friday was just too much winter and Lake Minnewaska was completely ice covered on Saturday, Nov. 30.  As ice anglers prepare for the winter fishing season, the winter-like temperatures over the next week will likely make more ice.  

Lake Minnewaska typically freezes in late November or Early December.  At right are the ice-on dates for Lake Minnewaska recorded since 1958.

Lake Minnewaska ice-on dates dating back to 1958:

2024 – Nov. 30 

2023- Nov. 28

2022 – Nov. 22 

2021- Dec. 7

2020 – Nov. 30

2019 –  Nov. 12

2018 – Nov. 13

2017 – Nov. 22*

2016 – Dec. 8 

2015 – Dec. 19

2014 – Nov. 14 

2013 – Nov. 24 

2012 – Dec. 10 

2011 – Nov. 26* 

2010 – Nov. 26 

2009 – Dec. 5 

2008 – Nov. 21 

2007 – Nov. 27 

2006 – Nov. 30 

2005 – Nov. 30 

2004 – Dec. 4

2003 – Nov. 25 

2002 – Nov. 25 

2001 – Dec. 20 

2000 – Nov. 21 

1999 – Dec. 13 

1998 – Dec. 20 

1997 – Nov. 14 

1996 – Nov. 17 

1995 – Nov. 12 

1994 – Dec. 1 

1993 – Nov. 23

1992 – Nov. 15 

1991 – Nov. 4 

1990 – Nov. 30 

1989 – Nov. 18 

1988 – Nov. 30 

1987 – Dec. 4 

1986 – Nov. 13 

1985 – Nov. 21 

1984 – Dec. 2* 

1983 – Dec. 3 

1982 – Nov. 13

1981 – Dec. 4 

1980 – Nov. 24 

1979 – Nov. 30 

1978 – Nov. 21 

1977 – Nov. 15 

1976 – Nov. 12 

1975 – Nov. 30 

1974 – Dec. 1 

1973 – Dec. 5 

1972 – Nov. 28 

1970 – Nov. 22

1969 – Nov. 17 

1968 – Dec. 5 

1965 – Nov. 27 

1964 – Nov. 25 

1962 – Dec. 9 

1961 – Nov. 23 

1960 – Nov. 29 

1959 – Nov. 13 

1958 – Nov. 26