Lake Huron has 20% less ice than normal in January

Area waterways have been quiet this winter as the sound of snowmobiles zipping down rivers and ice augers forming holes in frozen lakes have been absent.

James Kessler, a physical scientist for the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, said the ice coverage on Lake Huron is below average this year. However, it is not the lowest the lake has experienced.

“It’s still pretty early in the season,” he said. “We’re certainly off to a slow start, but it’s hard to say what will happen later on.”

Lake Huron typically sees a long-term, historical average of 28% ice coverage in mid-January. So far this winter, the coverage has been around 8%. Kessler said Lake Huron’s ice coverage is usually at its highest in late February or early March.

As for the St. Clair River, Kessler said it's too small for its ice coverage to be picked up by the GLERL satellites. However, he said the ice within the river is important because it creates ice jams near Lake St. Clair, which can cause flooding.

"We're working on improving models that can predict ice cover in this region, but the models are still an active area of research," Kessler said in an email.

Winter has been mild this year. Kessler said ice cover is largely driven by the air’s temperature, and the warmer weather hasn’t allowed the lakes to cool.

“We need persistent cold weather for a long time for the lakes to cool down enough to freeze,” Kessler said.

Lack of ice on the lakes effects its ecosystems and economy of shoreline communities. Kessler said certain species of fish and micro-organisms depend on the ice cover for spawning cycles. Less ice cover would potentially lead to dwindling populations for those species.

And coastal communities may see a dip in tourism, as recreational activities such as snowmobiling and ice fishing require ice.

But ice does more for communities than bring in tourists or give residents outdoor adventures.

“If there’s no ice coverage to protect the shoreline, the waves that make it shore can potentially damage property or cause shoreline erosion,” Kessler said.

However, there is a positive aspect to the lack of ice. Kessler said commercial freighters on the Great Lakes sometimes get impeded by ice cover. Less ice cover allows the ships to freely navigate the water in winter.

Water levels have a complex relationship with ice cover, according to Kessler. He said ice cover act as a cap, preventing the lakes from evaporating in warmer weather. However, he said it's hard to make broad statements about how they relate, or overall water levels.

Port Huron resident Bruce Ferguson goes fishing by Thomas Edison Parkway. He said he prefers to not go ice fishing, so the lack of ice doesn’t bother him. However, he already winterized his boat and cannot take it out on the lake.

“You don’t really want to take the boat out in the winter, even if there’s no ice,” Ferguson said. “There’s a chance you take it out  and suddenly there’s a freeze overnight.”

Ferguson said the lack of ice might mean fishing in the spring will be nicer, since there won’t be huge ice flows coming downstream.

Sales for ice fishing gear have slowed down at Anderson’s Pro Bait, located at 2731 Pine Grove Ave. Gage Frazer, the store manager, said they average around $100 a day in ice fishing gear sales. When the ice is present, sales can get up to $1,000 a day.

“We don’t really have a place to ice fish around here, but we are the only strictly fishing store from here to Lake St. Clair, which is typically where people go,” Frazer said.

Frazer said typically people want ice by January for ice fishing and for it to be gone by March so regular fishing can take place.

Contact McKenna Golat at mgolat@gannett.com or (810) 292-0122.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Lake Huron has 20% less ice than normal in January