It’s been a winter  for the record books.

Not enough snow fell and temperatures were well above average in what has been termed the warmest meteorological winter.  The lack of snow and warm temperatures meant no ice fishing, snowmobiling, skiing or other activities Minnesotans enjoy during the winter months.

And, it likely will mean an early ice-out date for Lake Minnewaska and other area lakes.  

The countdown to the first ice-free day on Lake Minnewaska started in earnest last week when ice receded from shore and large pockets of open water started to show up in the middle of the lake.  With warm, more spring-like temperatures again forecast for this week, it looks more and more like the ice could be gone soon.

If Lake Minnewaska is ice free by March 20, it will set a new record for early ice out.  In 118 years of recording ice-out dates for Minnewaska, the earliest the lake was ice free was on March 21, 2012.  In fact, since 1906 ice out has come in March only 9 times.  Typically, ice out is in April some time.  There have been only two years in that span when the ice out was in May.  One of those years, 2013, set the record for latest ice out on May 11.

The talk around the lake last week was that there was a good chance the ice could even be out this last weekend.  The marina in Starbuck was open and the ice had receded from shore in many areas of the lake.  By Monday, however, the ice was still holding on but it won’t last long.  With continued warm temperatures and wind, the  record is in jeopardy. 

Lake Minnewaska ice-off dates since 1906

* Earliest ice-off date.

** Latest ice-off date.

1906……April 12

1907……April 18

1908……April 12

1909……April 28

1910….March 26

1911….March 29

1912……April 13

1913……April 17

1914……April 17

1915……April 15

1916……April 14

1917……April 19

1918……April 17

1919……..April 5

1920……April 18

1921….March 30

1922……April 15

1923……April 21

1924……..April 9

1925……..April 2

1926……April 17

1927……..April 8

1928……..April 5

1929……..April 6

1930……..April 6

1931……..April 8

1932……April 10

1933……..April 8

1934……..April 9

1935……..April 9

1936……April 20

1937……April 20

1938…….April 11

1939……April 21

1940……April 25

1941……April 12

1942….March 25

1943……April 14

1944……April 14

1945….March 31

1946….March 27

1947……April 20

1948……April 19

1949……April 19

1950…….. May 7 

1951……April 29

1952……April 25

1953……..April 8

1954……April 15

1955……April 12

1956……April 26

1957……April 20

1958……..April 5

1959……April 13

1960……April 18

1961……..April 4

1962……April 26

1963……..April 6

1964……April 17

1965……April 30

1966……April 14

1967…….April 11

1968……..April 2

1969……April 20

1970……April 26

1971……April 18

1972……April 26

1973……..April 1

1974……April 21

1975……April 28

1976……April 10

1977……April 12

1978…..April 19

1979……April 29

1980……April 21

1981….March 29

1982……April 24

1983……..April 5

1984……April 20

1985……April 16

1986……April 12

1987….March 25

1988……..April 9

1989……April 23

1990……..April 9

1991……..April 7

1992……..April 5

1993……April 19

1994……April 17

1995……April 15

1996……April 25

1997……April 25

1998……..April 8

1999…… ..April 2

2000…..March 24

2001…….April 24

2002 ……April 16

2003…….April 11

2004……..April 5

2005……April 10

2006……April 10

2007…….April 2

2008…….April 21

2009…….April 18

2010…….April 2

2011…….April 21

2012…March 21*

2013……May 11**

2014……April 26

2015……..April 8

2016….March 22

2017…….March 31

2018………April 30

2019………April 21

2020………..April 9

2021………April 3

2022…….April 23

2023………April 30

2024………………??