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MPR News Staff

Mild winter melts hope for Apostle Islands ice caves visit

The ice in this year's caves
Apostle Islands ice caves pictured, March 5, 2015 near Cornucopia, Wis.
Derek Montgomery for MPR News 2015

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Rangers at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on Friday threw cold water on hopes for Wisconsin's Lake Superior coast freezing enough to let hikers walk to and through the spectacular coastal ice caves this season.

You probably knew this was coming. Outside of a couple of really cold stretches, it's been a pretty mild winter. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration teased a bit in October with news of a La Nina effect and probabilities of a cooler-than-normal winter.

But on Thursday, the National Weather Service said forget about it — La Nina was over.

So Friday's note from the Apostle Islands wasn't unexpected.

"Not to burst anyone's bubble, but ice caves are looking unlikely this year," the Apostle Islands National Park Service crew posted Friday on Facebook, complete with a picture from their coast cam of open water and ice floes.

Rangers noted that there's plenty of snow on the Bayfield, Wis., peninsula for snowshoeing and skiing. But a trek to the breathtakingly beautiful caves this winter appears out of reach.

For good measure, temperatures in Bayfield are expected to approach 40 degrees this weekend, and top 40 on Monday.