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Climate Cast ®
Paul Huttner and Ben Revier

What does ice on Lake Superior tell us about climate change?

Lake Superior
Ice covers Lake Superior near Stony Point Friday, Feb. 6, in Duluth Township, Minn. Ice grew rapidly over the Great Lakes with the recent cold snap. As of Feb. 5, nearly half of Lake Superior is covered ice according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory.
Erica Dischino for MPR News

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The last time Lake Superior completely froze over was 30 years ago in 1996. Around that time, Lake Superior was consistently at least 75 percent frozen over. Now, 75 percent coverage is rare, only happening about once every four years.

Ice on the Great Lakes, and Lake Superior specifically, is a great way to measure climate for our region. MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner spoke with UMD professor Jay Austin, about what ice coverage can tell us about climate change.

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