2015/16 First Ice

[erik]

I'm ready to put the dock out and start fishing from my little boat! We'll be lucky if we're on the ice by the end of January. Have some of you wiser gentlemen seen this lack of ice this late before?

[Phil]

Lots of years the ice is not in until the last week in December. It won't take long, a little cold weather and we'll be on the ice. The temps forecast for XMAS and following will get us there. I just hope when we do get the cold weather, it stays!

Only one reason I'm not too anxious for ice yet ----- I'm working on this in my spare time; little backyard storage shed

[Tori]

Phil,
Let some Amish guys build the shed and you go fishing??!!
Are you using Amish cut wood?
Tori

[Phil]

Brother has a sawmill and a woodlot (Hemlock and Poplar). Custom sawn and custom construction. So far I have less than $1,000 invested in expenses, all the the wood is cut and stacked and drying. Just my brother and I doing the constuction, so far. We enjoy building and working together. It's all gonna end when the cold sets in and the ice comes on.

[Tori]

Phil,
I see that one board member is out of the contest! Dec. 11 is gone!
It is 60 degrees in Rochester and it is not noon yet!
Suppose to be mid 60's Sunday! Wow!
Sorry for your misery, Phil!
Tori

[RochNY]

I guess since it's 18 Dec., I didn't win the first ice contest....bummer.

What if there's no ice this year? Will you need therapy Phil?

[492VS]

http://www.weather.com/storms/winter/ne ... 6-noaa-wsi

With this new info. My prediction will be Nov 29th 2016. For the ice out contest this year. I would like to use the 2015 date at which it occured.

The days will be getting longer soon so Phil can work on his shed longer into the evening.

Happy Holidays

[Phil]

I guess since it's 18 Dec., I didn't win the first ice contest....bummer.

What if there's no ice this year? Will you need therapy Phil?

ha ha. No ice! Funnie! Maybe the lake will dry up too.

[Tori]

Phil,
I have been a cottage owner on the lake for only 10 years and the lake has always iced over. Has there ever been a year where the lake has NOT froze over?
Good weather for building sheds!
Tori

[RochNY]

Methinks, Phil's already showing signs of withdrawal...another couple of weeks without ice and he'll be climbing the walls of the shed he's building! Now who's laughing Mr. Phil?

[Phil]

Phil,
I have been a cottage owner on the lake for only 10 years and the lake has always iced over. Has there ever been a year where the lake has NOT froze over?
Good weather for building sheds!
Tori

Yep - the same year it dried up

Not to worry Rich - the ice will come - there's been plenty of years that I never got on the ice til after the first of the year.

Water temps are down and as soon as it turns cold (and it will) the lake will freeze.

In the mean time, I continue to build my "shed" - something that was not planned til spring of 2016.

I'm all good with this weather. I'm sure we'll be fishing through the ice by mid January and right through into April this season -

[Phil]

Nice, refreshing change in the weather pattern I think, that if the wind subsides, thje lake will "skim over" in the next few days. You guys taht picked the days in January might be "in the money". Who woulda thought!

[ND Crazy]

Just to say, that because there is no ice, this morning, the first flock of snow geese landed in front of the house. As I am typing this, my wife says there is another huge flock coming in. A beautiful sight.
PS Happy New Years to all.

[Phil]

I'll bet that's a sight to see. I watched flock after flock go over my home this afternoon.

[Phil]

My "prediction" is that the lake wil;l freeze sometime Sunday night through Tuesday AM.

Looking good for the ice-fishers.