Lake ice-out moving north through central Minnesota this week

In a sign of the spring season in Minnesota, lake ice-out is working it’s way north.

A winter’s worth of ice is finally giving way this week across much of central Minnesota. Here are some select lakes with this year’s ice-out date compared to their average:

• North Long (Brainerd lakes area), April 14 (4 days early)

• Split Hand (south of Grand Rapids), April 14 (6 days early)

• Floyd (Detroit Lakes area), April 14 (10 days early)

• Long (Detroit Lakes area), April 13 (6 days early)

• Bay Lake (Deerwood area), April 10 ( 9 days early)

You can follow ice-out reports at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s GOES-16 1 km resolution visible satellite images Tuesday show this week’s gusty northwest winds have pushed ice on Lake Mille Lacs to the eastern half of the lake.

Around the Twin Cities, bellwether lakes like Minnetonka and White Bear were ice-free in late March about two weeks earlier than the long-term average.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Minnesota DNR report lake ice duration across Minnesota has decreased by up to 17 days over the last 50 years. Over the last 100 years, it’s as much as 27 days.