Ice Off!

Today is the day! Ice off! 

We're all cheering except for the damage to the Lac Le Jeune Park Wharf. 

Thanks to Mike Brugger for the photographs. 

Ice Off Time Lapse Video

From Steve Roy: Ice off time-lapse at Lac Le Jeune, 18th and 19 April 2016. Created from webcam images grabbed every 40 seconds over 2 days with most of the night images removed.

https://youtu.be/gd3L2t38h_s

ICE OFF

I added the ICE OFF poll to the blog but haven't had a chance to let everyone know it is there. Today we're seeing lots of open water. It's all happening so fast and early!

The results of the poll are fairly predictable, but what the heck, vote anyway!

Sylvia

Ice Off Video

Get out the popcorn, folks. The 2014 Ice Off video is now online. Thank you Steve Roy!

Almost ICE OFF!

If you want a good play-by-play of ice off watch the LacLeJeune.ca webcam. There are two cameras -the south view or the the southwest view. Here's a snapshot taken at 17:42 today. 

Webcam snapshot 

May 1 18:00 - view from Lookout Road

ICE OFF

Duck at the park boat launch, 30 April 

The votes are rolling in, and we've been seeing a lot of ice off progress in the last few days! So far it's a tie. What do you think -- before or on/after May 10? The poll is on the right sidebar on the main page of the blog. 

Before May 10	8 (47%)
On or after May 10	8 (47%)
Never!	1 (5%)

Wharf at the park

We're seeing a lot of damage caused by the high winds yesterday! These photos of the twisted wharf at the park are from Mike Brugger.

Ice Off Poll

Notice how the lake is changing colour already? We might be in for an early ice off this year! Or maybe not. What's your prediction?

RinkWatch

RinkWatch is a study conducted by geographers at Wilfred Laurier University. Through public participation, they are gathering data on the use of outdoor skating rinks over time as a measure of changes in our climate.

In any given year we have many ice rinks at Lac Le Jeune. Some are on the lake, and others are in back yards. At Logan Lake we have enjoyed many seasons of outdoor oval speed skating practices and competitions organized by River City Racers Speed Skating club, as well as the annual Pond Hockey Tournament (next weekend!).

I think we have all noticed some changes, especially in the length of our skating season. For example, the Logan Lake LOop speed skating event has been cancelled two years in a row because of iffy conditions in preparing the rink in December.

Are you willing to become a RinkWatcher and help with this research?

1. Go to the RinkWatch website: http://www.rinkwatch.org/
2. Create an account
3. Add the rink to the map

Then it's just a matter of recording information in a calendar about whether or not you could skate each day. You can also upload photos. It doesn't have to be YOUR rink. Feel free to add your neighbour's rink to the map.

What a save!

Stick action

Logan Lake - Owen's Oval

References:
http://www.rinkwatch.org/


Damyanov, N. N., Matthews, H. D., & Mysak, L. A. (2012). Observed decreases in the Canadian outdoor skating season due to recent winter warming. Environmental Research Letters, 7(014028). doi:doi:10.1088/1748-9326/7/1/014028

ICE OFF - the sequel

Thanks once again to Steve Roy for capturing the moments leading up to ice off on the Lac Le Jeune webcam. Get out the popcorn!

 

ICE OFF!

Let the records show May 8th as ice off day for 2012. And, for the record, apparently our records for the history of ice off aren't accurate, but we're still waiting for someone to come forward with a revised list. Anyone?

From the laclejeune.ca webcam

Birds at Lac Le Jeune

After a long, quiet winter, most of the residents at Lac Le Jeune are anxiously awaiting ice-off. Even the birds have been very busy out on the remaining ice, eager for spring and summer to arrive. Earlier this week there was plenty of activity to observe on the Little Lake. At one point, I saw five eagles together on the ice. Watching the wildlife here is what makes Lac Le Jeune an exciting place to live!

Ice off time lapse

Grab your popcorn! Thanks to Steve Roy we have the May 15 ice off captured on video.

Ice Off!

May 14 was the official ICE OFF day. Our poll results were close this year! From a total of 101 votes, 48 said ice off would be before May 15, and  53 said on or after May 15. And one voter said the ice would never go off! :-D

Ice Off?

Time for the ice off poll! What is your prediction? Select your response (top right) before May 15, 2011.

Steve Roy reports:

We augured the lake yesterday and there is still 24" of ice. Ice off is still a couple of weeks way. It was fairly soft and mushy for the first foot and a half though.

ICE OFF 2010

Here's the end of the movie, folks! Thanks to Steve Roy for posting part 2, and helping to keep our records straight. The official date for 2010 is Friday, April 30.

ICE OFF - the movie

There have been some questions about the accuracy of the Lac Le Jeune ICE OFF records. This year Steve, operator of the Lac Le Jeune webcam, decided to record this historical event. Here you have it folks, ICE OFF -- the movie! This section only covers April 12 - 17, 2010. Stay tuned! It can only get better!

Ice Off

Well, it's that time of year again when we inspect the shore line each day to see if the ice is receding and watch for pools of water forming on top. It's a daily topic of conversation for LLJ residents out on their walks. Will it be earlier this year than last? We're always hopeful on days like today with that nice, warm breeze.

Well don't hold your breath! Mike Brugger drilled a hole 5' in front of his wharf and the ice was 21" thick. His report: "Sorry, but NO fishing this weekend."

Last year we posted ice off dates back to 1982.

For the record

For the record, here are the ice off dates since 1982. Any corrections? Does anybody have records prior to 1982?

1982 May 19
1983 May 10
1984 May 15
1985 May 9
1986 May 3
1987 April 30
1988 May 10
1989 April 30
1990 April 18
1991 May 12
1992 April 18
1993 May 2
1994 April 23
1995 May 8
1996 May 4
1997 May 10
1998 May 2
1999 May 11
2000 April 27
2001 May 7
2002 May 11
2003 April 27
2004 April 20
2005 April 24
2006 April 30
2007 April 28
2008 May 16

2009 May 5

ICE OFF celebration swim

Does anybody know these wild people who jumped into the lake to celebrate ICE OFF? It's an annual tradition, and this year they were asking for cash: $5 to go in, $20 to swim to the raft and back, and $100 to catch the beaver that was swimming by the fallen tree.