Cooler but still well above normal this week

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This post comes with a warning label upfront. Ice is 

safe on many Minnesota lakes. You need at least 4 inches of clear black ice to venture out with some level of safety. This ice is always present in areas with moving water. 

Minnesota is seeing some of the best skating ice in years on many Minnesota lakes. I’m getting reports of pristine smooth black ice in the Boundary Waters and other lakes across northern Minnesota. 

Kjersti Vick with Visit Cook County took some photos of exceptional black ice on lakes in northeast Minnesota. 

It should be noted that she measured 4 inches of ice in this location. Many lakes in southern Minnesota may not have 4 inches of ice yet.

Kjersti elaborates on the excellent ice along the Gunflint Trail.

October cold combined with light winds and a lack of snow cover has created near-perfect glassy black ice this season. 

Temperatures dipped into the single digits above zero on several nights across northern Minnesota in late October and November. The cold, combined with light winds produced a glassy freeze on many lakes.

The subsequent lack of snowfall after freeze-up has kept the ice pristine.

Wild ice like this occurs every few years in Minnesota. But this may be one of the best years in a long time depending on your location.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

Early cold and lack of snow is producing near-perfect skating ice.

Glassy smooth 'wild ice' on Seagull Lake 

Excellent year for 'wild ice' skating on northern Minnesota lakes

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