The answer is a definite yes.
Over the past 25 years, according to climate scientists, the ice cover of the Laurentian lakes has decreased by approximately 15% to 20% in terms of total duration, with ice melting beginning on average 30 days earlier than in previous centuries.
This reduction is consistent with a trend observed in several regions of Quebec and Canada, where global warming has led to a significant reduction in the duration and thickness of lake ice, directly impacting aquatic ecosystems and seasonal human activities.
However, these changes are anything but linear. Year-to-year variations are large and it takes a lot of data collected over decades to draw scientifically valid conclusions.
Over the past 15 years, I have noted the day Clear Lake , where I live, became covered with ice. The dates that come up most often are in the first half of December. But the differences are significant. Thus, in 2018, the lake was covered with ice on November 18. Many of you will remember the year 2015 when the brave played golf on Christmas Day. That year, the first serious snowfall occurred on December 29, and the lake froze the following year, on January 2, 2016.
Here are other dates when Clear Lake was covered with ice: in 2011 on December 18, in 2014 on December 2, in 2019 on November 30 and in 2020 on December 8.
I offer you this gallery of images that I have captured over the years which clearly illustrate why nature never ceases to amaze us.
The same differences can be observed in the spring when our lakes free themselves of their ice. Most of the time, the ice disappears in the second half of April. I noted that Clear Lake was freed from its ice on April 9 in 2010 and on May 5 both in 2018 and 2019.
Finally, today December 7, as I put the final touch of this article, Clear Lake only has a partial ice cover as shown in the last picture of the gallery.
In closing, I wish to remind you that the ice must reach a thickness of at least 15 centimetres – approximately 6 inches – for safe skating.
Have a joyous winter.
Thanks for these photos of reminders how climate change has passed through around Clear Lake and left its marks. The best reminder of our memories here are being able to make a skating rink and going for a walk around the lake edges which look like this is going to happen in 2024.
Another wonderful article! Thank you Jacques!
Thank you, Jacques. It’s great to get information backed by data. Opinions on climate change vary too wildly and weaken efforts to fight it.
What a wonderful article Jacques. Merci! Barbara and Neil
Wow, thank you, Jacques, for the information and pictures! It is definitely changing year by year, which is all the more reason for all of us to be extremely careful before venturing out on the ice!
Cathy
An excellent photo gallery and article Jacques! Many thanks.
Very interesting to read! The Red River here in Winnipeg is still open. Temperature fluctuating wildly this week- Monday -27 to Thursday at around 0 and freezing rain.