‘Ice-In’ Declared on Lake Winnipesaukee, Likely Won’t Last and ‘Definitely Not Safe’

Dave Emerson of Emerson Aviation declared “ice-in” for Lake Winnipesaukee Sunday after the arctic blast that swept through the state Friday into Saturday, but he didn’t expect it to last with warmer temperatures expected during the coming week.

“It is definitely not safe,” Emerson said of the ice. “We can actually see through it so it is less than 2 inches thick.”

“The cold temps and the calm over night did it,” said Emerson. “May not last with the forecast and definitely not thick.” 

Emerson declares “ice-out” on Lake Winnipesaukee in the spring each year. Before him, his father Alan Emerson kept track of “ice-out” by flying over the state’s largest lake.  “Ice-out” is declared when the MS Mount Washington can make it to every one of its ports on the lake in the spring.

Late last week Dave Emerson said it was the first time he hadn’t seen Lake Winnipesaukee iced over by Feb. 1. But that changed over the weekend.

The frigid temperatures also caused Mount Washington to claim a new record wind chill of -108 late Friday night and again early Saturday, according to The Weather Channel.