Ice meets its match
For nearly five long months, Lake L’Homme Dieu has been imprisoned by ice. On Tuesday, the lake shook off the last of its icy shackles.
For nearly five long months, Lake L’Homme Dieu has been imprisoned by ice.
On Tuesday, the lake shook off the last of its icy shackles.
April 21 is this year’s official ice out date as determined by Echo Press lake watchers.
Warm, windy weather climbed into the upper 60s last week and quickened the ice melt. The last patch of ice ended up in the southeast corner of the lake near the public beach.
The April 21 date is 11 days earlier than last year’s May 2 ice out, the latest in 29 years. Compared to recent history, however, this year’s ice-out was a little tardy.
Other than the May 2, 2008 date, the ice hasn’t taken this long to leave since 2001 when it finally melted away on April 26.
Of the 148 people who entered this year’s Echo Press Ice Out Contest, seven people nailed the correct date. A drawing was held to determine the winner and it was Brayden Amundson of Alexandria.
He wins a fun summer-time prize – a Rave Sports Razor Tube donated by Alex Dock, Lift and Marine of Garfield. His reaction when the newspaper told him he was the winner: “Cool!”
The Echo Press has been keeping track of the ice-out times dating back to 1867. Lake Osakis was originally the official lake but the site was changed to Lake L’Homme Dieu in 1965.
The earliest ice-out happened in 2000, when the lake was clear of ice on March 25.
The ice’s most stubborn year was 1878 when it finally retreated on May 15.
Tags: news, local, ice, out, northland, outdoors, places
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