Ice Watch March 19 2016

We begin the Georgian Bay Ice Watch this year close to the Spring equinox, after the Unwinter of 2015-16.  Where the last two years saw the Bay freeze over completely, this season saw even inland ice seem sketchy.  Southern Ontario snowmobile trail maps were mostly a sea of red, with the vast majority of trails remaining closed.  Locals in the Twelve Mile Bay area advised us to bring SCUBA gear if we were going to attempt the hike out to Sans Souci over the ice.

The Bay itself is clear of ice, and the fast ice is retreating quickly along the eastern shore, especially in the south.  The Bustard Islands are still socked in, but Parry Sound is clearing out. We’re over a month ahead of last year, and expect to get paddles in the water in the first half of April.

Source top: NOAA Modis True Colour 250m.
Source bottom: Canadian Ice Service Modis 19/16Z.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 22nd, 2016 at 10:58 pm. It is filed under Ice Watch, Ice Watch 2016. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.