ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Some folks would say it has been a very interesting run of winter weather this past week. Rochester has experienced nine days in a row of below normal temperatures and during this past week we never got close to rising above the freezing point. And it is amazing to me how quickly this can change the landscape around Western New York.

An example of this is found by checking one of the many camera views near Lake Ontario. During the last few days the ice coverage has been on the increase along the shoreline. And the bigger picture across the rest of the great lakes is showing a similar result. However, when comparing the total percentage of ice this season it is much less than the historical long-term average. This historical average for ice goes back almost 50 years. At this point in the season, the ice coverage for all the great lakes is near 15 percent. The seasonal long-term average is usually closer to 25 percent. We will see if this changes as the winter season progresses.

Given the fact that this has been an unusual season, it is probably a good idea to talk about the safety of ice thickness. Whether it is Lake Ontario or just the pond in your backyard, checking the thickness of the ice can mean the difference in the well-being for you and your family. If the ice is two inches or less it is highly recommended to stay off the ice. Many folks like to do ice fishing and that requires a minimum of 4 inches. Snowmobiling or using an ATV requires at least five to six inches of solid ice. Believe it or not, some may try to drive on a frozen body of water with a car or a truck. That would need a minimum requirement of 12 inches of solid ice. 

We still have a long way to go before we reach the spring season and anything can happen in the coming weeks, but it is difficult to see a significant increase in the amount of ice coverage at this time.