Great Lakes Ice Remains In 85 Degree Temperatures

Well when they are counting parts per million in co2 then every breath counts I guess lol a reply to: nugget1

Water absorbs heat much slower than land does. The ground only has to thaw several inches - the great lakes are very deep. And spooky, which has nothing to do with it but they are spooky.

originally posted by: network dude
Swimming in lake Superior has always resulted in the shock and awe affect. anytime. It's friggin cold. Always.

^ This CANNOT be emphasized enough!!

Camping on the north shore it isn't unusual for big fog banks to move in, and repeated polar plunges instead of lolling about in the water. OMG it's frigid!!!

a reply to: raedar

Well... you know when they clear parking lots of snow and the giant drifts remain for weeks long after the snow that fell that was used to create the drifts has mwlted away?

Same principle.. I mean it's pretty obvious. All of those giant chunks of ice will take a long time especially in such cold water.

The lake ice actually has bee affecting the weather and delaying storm season because its changed air temperatures. Which is a shame because storm and tornado season is one of my favorite timea of year.

Ice is whitish; white reflects heat. Reflecting heat is not conducive to quick melting.

The creek that flows in front of my house is already bath-water warm. The ice is gone and the water is dark...

a reply to: raedar

Michigan's Lake Superior water temp never gets above 55 degrees at the surface, even in July and August.

Averages temp is around 40 to 45 degrees, and sub-surface temps average 39 degrees.

Just because it's 85 degrees out doesn't mean ice melts quick.

I have lived in Michigan all my life, and have swan in rivers that run into Lake Superior in August, where river temps are around 80 plus degrees, but once you hit the lake, from the river, it was dangerously cold and even life threatening.

I have lived here my whole life. Ice on the great lakes in may is not too out of the ordinary. 85 degree for a day or 2 has little effect on the lakes because of the sheer size of them. Biggest fresh water lakes in the world mean a whole lot of water to either heat or cool. It takes weeks of constant warm weather for them to thaw totally. Give it a couple of weeks and ice will be but a distant memory.
-PainGod