May 5, 2023: Going Fast

There are several signs that the ice is going fast today.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here’s a couple grand worth from Devon Ostir’s dock cam on Hare Island.

This is what the Manitou looked like late this morning.

Hare Island dock cam image from 11:38 this morning.

And here’s what the same camera saw just four hours later.

Hare Island dock cam image from 3:35 this afternoon.

The ice was breaking up rapidly. Thanks for the pictures, Devon!

You can be sure this is not just a Manitou thing. All over the region, today’s warm temperatures and stiff winds will be wreaking havoc on weak ice.

Here’s a comment from Stu Everett. If you’re visiting the Ice Patrol website, you may have already seen it, but if you generally just read the emails, the comments aren’t usually included.

Accelerating change is right! This morning I was out at Williard Lake and the part of the lake I was on was ice covered shore to shore with black ice. By early afternoon, the wind has blown it clear.

Also, I was out at Clearwater Bay moments ago. Deception Bay is now ice free up to McCallum Point. The main stretch of Clearwater is still ice covered (as far as I could see from shore) but there are open areas even there. My guess is it will be ice free in a few days if not earlier.

Stu Everett

A few hours later, I received these timely pictures of Clearwater Bay and Deception Bay from Mike B.

The first one is looking from McCallum point to the north across Deception Bay towards the Rockeries.

Deception Bay.

No ice visible in this shot at all. But in case you’re starting to feel sentimental about ice, Mike’s second shot Looks south across Clearwater Bay towards Zigzag Island.

Looking towards Zigzag Island.

That’s not the kind of ice you skate on! Thanks, Mike!

Signs of spring:

• Poplars and lilacs are starting to bud.
• Found a tick on my dog yesterday. Because of the prevalence of tick-borne Lyme Disease here, Ebony is on preventative pills. See your vet.

TECHNICAL NOTE: if you reply to one of the Ice Patrol’s mass emails, it’s not like replying to a normal email from a friend.

As it says at the bottom of each email:

         You can also reply to this email to leave a comment.

Because the email subscription is an add-on to the Ice Patrol website, WordPress will convert your message to a public comment on the Ice Patrol blog. That’s great if you’re reporting on ice conditions or sending a short thank-you note, but it’s best not to include things like phone numbers.

Also, this means you cannot send a photo by replying to those email bulletins. Once your email reply is converted to a comment, all attachments and pictures are lost.

To send a picture, email icecaptain@outlook.com.

The long-term weather forecast is anticipating a week of very warm weather starting on about May 9th.  That will probably deliver the coup de grâce.