Unusual winter phenomenon happening now beneath U.P.'s Tahquamenon Falls

Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press
·3 min read
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Amid the churning waters beneath Tahquamenon Falls — one of Michigan's most-visited, most-beloved waterfalls, in the Upper Peninsula burg of Paradise — stacks of pancakes are forming. Ice pancakes.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources recently shared a photo of the pancake ice on its Tahquamenon Falls State Park Facebook page.

"I just thought it was cool," DNR park interpreter Theresa Neal said.

Pancake ice forms a few different ways. In very turbulent waters — like at the bottom of Tahquamenon Falls — and in cold temperatures, ice granules form and clump together. Their collisions and the movement of the water rounds their shape over time, raising their edges as cold water and slush come on top.

Pancake ice — unusual ice disc formations — can be seen in the pool in the foreground beneath the Lower Falls at Tahquamenon Falls State Park in this December 2022 photo.
Pancake ice — unusual ice disc formations — can be seen in the pool in the foreground beneath the Lower Falls at Tahquamenon Falls State Park in this December 2022 photo.

In the pool beneath the falls where the pancake ice is forming, water movement is much less. But around the pool is a high amount of turbulence. "The (water) velocity outside the pool is larger than that in the pool, causing a shear force, making the floes rotate and forming them into a circular shape," said Hung Tao Shen, a research professor in hydraulic engineering at Clarkson University in New York.

Pancake ice discs can vary in size from less than a foot up to about 10 feet in places like the ocean.

Colder temperatures created ice pancakes on Lake Ontario in Rochester, New York, on Jan. 13, 2022.
Colder temperatures created ice pancakes on Lake Ontario in Rochester, New York, on Jan. 13, 2022.

Winter wildlife, quiet — and a brewpub

Though Tahquamenon Falls is a hugely popular tourist destination in the summer, Neal said it's a must-visit in the winter, too.

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"Winter at the park is a different experience and absolutely stunning," she said.

"The blanket of snow quiets things down and allows you to witness what animals stay active through their footprints. Red fox, coyote, red squirrels, river otter, snowshoe hare and even bobcat tracks are seen in the forest along the river."

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The Upper Falls have the same amenities in the winter as during non-snow months, Neal said. A nearby, private brewpub is open daily; restrooms are open; the parking lot is cleared, and the walkway to Upper Falls views is kept free of snow, she said.

"There are plenty of snowshoeing and cross-country skiing opportunities at the Upper Falls," she said. "A 4-mile, classic groomed cross-country ski trail starts and ends at the Upper Falls restroom building."

The entrance road and parking area for the Lower Falls is kept cleared, but visitors need to walk about a mile to get to the falls, Neal said. The track is usually kept packed by fallsgoers, but traction devices such as ice cleats are recommended.

The Lower Falls also are open for winter camping: 25 campsites kept clear of snow, with electricity and outhouses and a water spigot nearby, she said.

For more information, go to michigan.gov and search "Tahquamenon Falls."

Contact Keith Matheny: kmatheny@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ice pancakes form beneath Upper Peninsula's Tahquamenon Falls