Ice Forecast
Issued by NWS
Issued by NWS
614
FZUS81 KCLE 262154
ICELIO
Great Lakes Ice Outlook
National Weather Service Cleveland Ohio
454 PM EST Wed Feb 26 2025
Active watches...warnings...and advisories on the Great Lakes can
be found at:
http://www.weather.gov/greatlakes/
5 Day Ice Discussion...
Ice coverage over the Great Lakes has continued to decrease down to 30% due
to the warmer temperatures across the region. Despite the decrease in
coverage, fast ice still covers most bays and shallow areas in the lakes.
Lake Superior has ice coverage across much of its southern shore, with
areas around Duluth and to the east being mainly ice free. Areas around
the Chequamegon Bay and Whitefish Bay both still have fast ice, with
minimal fast ice in the Keweenaw Bay. Within Lake Michigan, the Green Bay
and the Straights of Mackinac from the Little Traverse Bay north, are
fast ice. The rest of the shoreline is ice free outside of the
southeastern shoreline from Gary, IN north to Muskegon, MI. The Grand
Traverse Bay has minimal ice coverage as well. The open waters of Lake
Huron is mostly ice covered with Saginaw Bay and Thunder Bay the only
areas having fast ice. Lake Erie remains the only lake with ice covering
the majority of the lake. The only areas with fast ice are just west of
the islands within the western basin and from Sunset Bay east in the
eastern basin.
Temperatures over the next few days will stay above or at freezing across
most of the Great lakes. This will lead to a slow or decay of ice growth
for most of the lakes. Temperatures will drop below freezing at the end of
the week leading to a few days of slow or moderate ice growth. Winds will
become primarily westerly and northwesterly shifting ice to the eastern
basins of the lakes and away from the western shorelines.
The Great Lakes ice analysis products can be found at:
http://usicecenter.gov/Products/GreatLakesHome
and
http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/data/ice/#currentconditions
MAX WIND (KNOTS) AT EACH SITE FOR THE 12 HOUR FCST PERIOD
Location Tonight Thu Thu Night Fri Fri Night
West Superior 320/20 320/18 020/26 020/28 360/17
Mid Superior 010/21 010/19 110/30 040/29 350/24
East Superior 350/22 360/22 100/29 010/27 360/22
North Michigan 300/14 340/16 170/20 350/22 350/21
South Michigan 290/18 300/20 230/25 320/23 340/24
North Huron 230/13 320/24 140/24 120/22 360/23
Mid Huron 240/10 310/19 160/20 170/19 340/22
South Huron 280/08 310/19 160/21 180/22 330/23
West Erie 270/17 280/18 280/17 190/23 310/19
East Erie 240/19 240/20 260/19 200/22 260/20
Central Ontario 100/14 280/17 270/25 110/20 330/10
A full graphical forecast of wind on the Great Lakes can be found at:
http://www.weather.gov/greatlakes/
Temperature Forecasts for Selected Cities
Location 02/27 02/28 03/01 03/02 03/03 03/04
Duluth 32 39 30 39 12 24 10 35 23 46 32 41
Marquette 30 35 21 33 10 19 6 26 12 39 30 41
GreenBay 33 41 28 48 17 28 14 35 23 46 35 46
Milwaukee 32 42 28 53 21 30 19 35 26 44 35 48
Chicago 37 44 33 55 28 32 23 37 30 46 37 50
Muskegon 35 41 30 44 23 28 19 30 23 39 35 44
Alpena 30 39 23 33 14 19 8 24 10 35 26 39
Detroit 35 42 28 46 28 30 17 32 21 39 32 46
Toledo 37 42 30 48 30 33 19 32 23 41 33 50
Cleveland 39 41 30 46 32 35 19 28 21 39 32 48
Buffalo 35 41 26 37 32 35 14 23 14 30 23 44
A full graphical forecast of the Great Lakes forecast temperatures
can be found at http://www.weather.gov/greatlakes/
FREEZING DEGREE DAY ACCUMULATIONS AT SELECTED STATIONS
COMPARED TO NORMAL CALCULATED ON Wed Feb 26:
LOCATION DATE NORMAL CURRENT
----------------------------------------
DULUTH, MN FEB 25 1627 1729
MARQUETTE, MI FEB 25 1395 1357
SAU_S_MAR, MI FEB 25 1120 1015
GREENBAY, WI FEB 24 933 939
MILWAUKEE, WI FEB 25 466 562
CHICAGO, IL FEB 25 364 457
MUSKEGON, MI FEB 25 313 356
ALPENA, MI FEB 25 829 795
DETROIT, MI FEB 25 349 447
TOLEDO, OH FEB 25 219 370
CLEVELAND, OH FEB 25 119 373
BUFFALO, NY FEB 25 407 434
NORMAL TEMPS FOR SELECTED LOCATIONS AROUND THE
GREAT LAKES FOR Wed Feb 26
LOCATION HIGH LOW
----------------------------------------------
DULUTH,MN 29 11
MARQUETTE,MI 30 13
GREENBAY,WI 35 17
MILWAUKEE,WI 37 22
CHICAGO,IL 41 24
MUSKEGON,MI 37 23
ALPENA,MI 33 14
DETROIT,MI 40 23
TOLEDO,OH 41 23
CLEVELAND,OH 41 25
BUFFALO,NY 37 22
$$