Ice Cover Data
The formation or loss of lake ice depends on many factors, including lake size and depth, wind exposure, and air temperature. As a result, ice conditions can vary widely from one lake to another and even across different areas of the same lake.
Because of this variability, a single “ice-in date” no longer tells the full story. Across New Hampshire, lakes are generally experiencing later ice-in and earlier ice-out, leading to shorter periods of winter ice cover. These changes can affect water quality, lake ecosystems, and the timing and safety of on-ice recreational activities.
Lake Sunapee Ice Out History
Ice out on Lake Sunapee is determined by the ability to navigate from one end of the lake to the other - from Georges Mills to Newbury Harbor. The Osborne family, longtime Sunapee residents, has taken on this task of navigating the 8-mile-long lake in springtime when the ice breaks up enough for their boat to make the trip end-to-end. Ice Out data has been collected since 1869, and recently, LSPA started collecting ice in data as well to keep track of regional climate changes. As you can see, there is a downward trend on the graph, which generally represents earlier ice outs.
