Today was our official 2017 ice out date; similar to prior ice out dates and a just a few days behind Winnipesaukee’s April 16 ice out. Just a few days prior, the lake still had a layer of ice over most of the water, but a few high 70 degree days did the trick.

Ice-Out records in New Hampshire have been kept since 1887 as a way to keep track of when both commercial and passenger transportation lanes became usable in the larger lakes. Over the last ten years or so, the Department of Environmental Services has asked all lakes to begin tracking their ice out dates. Ice out dates for Winona over the last five years: