Shelf Ice on Lake Michigan

sailortjk1 · #1 (**permalink**) 02-10-2008

Shot these about an hour ago.
Current conditions in town are right around 5F.
Temp out by the ice must have been right around 0.
Wind chills had to have been -20 - -30F.
I had to take my gloves off to operate the camera.
30 - 60 seconds is about all I could take of exposed skin.
Julie is such a trooper.

PBzeer · #2 (**permalink**) 02-10-2008

And you live there why? I shivered just looking at the pictures. Don't miss that weather in any way, shape or form.

JohnRPollard · #3 (**permalink**) 02-10-2008

Brrrrrrr.

Fascinating photos. Is the lake completely frozen over? What is meant by the term "shelf ice"?

Stay warm.

artbyjody · #4 (**permalink**) 02-10-2008

And here I thought it was gonna be a pic of your freezer showing how to instantly cool Coronas (ref warm beer - bad day thread)....but I think that would work too - I notice how ironic it is she is wearing a hat with "bear" on it....

xort · #5 (**permalink**) 02-10-2008

The freighter channel on Lake St Clair is 7 miles out from my house. I can see a giant ice pack, looks like an iceberg, out by the light in the channel. It's taller than a freighter and about 4 ore carriers long. BIG piece of ice!

bestfriend · #6 (**permalink**) 02-10-2008

I thought you said you couldn't sail there in the winter?

sailortjk1 · #7 (**permalink**) 02-10-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnRPollard

Brrrrrrr.

Fascinating photos. Is the lake completely frozen over? What is meant by the term "shelf ice"?

Stay warm.

John,
No the lake is not completly frozen. I don't think it ever is completly frozen
We live at the very southern tip of the lake.
Over the winter as ice forms the perdominate winds from the North pile all the ice on the Southern shore.
It forms what is commomly reffered to as an ice shelf or shelf ice. The mounds of ice are actually quite large and tall. Maybe twentyfive feet tall or taller. This shelf extends maybe one hundred or so yards out into the lake.

In the following picutre you can see some open water and pack ice or pancake ice. In fact if you look close enough you can see a wave breaking in the ice.

Danny33 · #8 (**permalink**) 02-10-2008

Looks like open water in the distance !

Mark1948 · #9 (**permalink**) 02-10-2008

Michigan and Superior both freeze over, just not every year. Michigan has not frozen over for a couple of years. The non-freeze is one of the arguments for the 4 foot drop in lake level over the past 18 years.

JohnRPollard · #10 (**permalink**) 02-10-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailortjk1

John,
No the lake is not completly frozen. I don't think it ever is completly frozen
We live at the very southern tip of the lake.
Over the winter as ice forms the perdominate winds from the North pile all the ice on the Southern shore.
It forms what is commomly reffered to as an ice shelf or shelf ice. The mounds of ice are actually quite large and tall. Maybe twentyfive feet tall or taller. This shelf extends maybe one hundred or so yards out into the lake.

In the following picutre you can see some open water and pack ice or pancake ice. In fact if you look close enough you can see a wave breaking in the ice.

Wow. Yes, I thought I could see some open water/waves, but wasn't sure.

Those are impressive heaps of ice nonetheless. I could easily see myself being tempted to go out and play amongst them as a kid. Hopefully midwesterners have more common sense.

Thanks for the explanation.