The Great Lakes winter ice cover has dropped dramatically over
the past 40 years, according to a new report. On average, peak
ice has fallen by 71 percent; Lake Michigan’s ice cover has
shrunk even more than that. Researchers at the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) compared satellite photos
dating to 1973. Jia Wang, a NOAA ice climatologist, said the
changes are stark. In a year like 1979, ice covered about 94
percent of the lakes in the coldest months of that winter. “This
winter the maximum ice cover is about five percent,” Wang said.
“It’s the lowest ever since the satellite era.” The drop in ice
cover is largely a result of rising temperatures due to climate
change. There are also other factors at play this year in
particular, such as El Nino weather patterns. According to Wang,
such a loss of winter ice can cause several problems for the
Great Lakes ecosystem. For example, it can accelerate wintertime
evaporation from the lakes, which could reduce water levels. The
trend could also