There was less ice cover on the Great Lakes on New Year's Day, 2024, than any other New Year's Day over the past 50 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
But experts say that doesn't tell us nearly as much as the average maximum ice coverage over that same time period.
James Kessler is a physical scientist with the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab. He said the long term trend shows an average 5% decrease in ice cover on the lakes each decade since 1973.
Kessler said less ice coverage is good for the multi-billion dollar shipping industry — "This is a huge industry and ice cover really hinders, and during the highest years, shuts down the shipping industry," he said.
On the other hand, less ice coverage is not good for Lake Superior coastal towns, he said, which can see tourism decline. And it's also not good for shoreline property owners and beaches.
"We see a lot of significant storms in the late fall and winter, and ice cover that's adhered to the shoreline — we call it land-fast ice — that ice cover's protecting the shoreline," said Kessler. "It dampens out the waves. So when there's not ice cover, those waves are able to reach the shoreline and can cause erosion."
Kessler said the decline in ice coverage correlates with warmer air and water temperatures in the region due to climate change.
