Echo Press Ice Out Contest: Ice leaves L'Homme Dieu a bit early

The ice on Lake L'Homme Dieu melted away on Thursday, April 16, two days earlier than the lake's median date. (Al Edenloff / Echo Press)

By Al Edenloff

April 21, 2020 at 6:06 AM

Seventeen people correctly predicted when the ice would vanish from Lake L’Homme Dieu in the Echo Press Ice Out Contest this spring – Thursday, April 16.

Names of all the correct guessers were put into a drawing and the winner was Rosalea E. Anderson of Garfield. She will receive a $50 gift card from Elden’s Fresh Foods. Runners-up will win $25 gift cards from participating merchants (see ad in Friday's paper for the winners).

Since 1965, the Echo Press has been keeping track of ice-out times on Lake L'Homme Dieu. The official date is determined by Echo Press employees who monitor the lake.

This year’s date is two days earlier than the median ice-out date on Lake L’Homme Dieu, according to records kept by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Prior to this spring, the last two ice-out dates were both later than average. In 2019, the last bit of ice on the west bay of the lake melted away on April 23 – five days later than the median ice-out date, but well ahead of the 2018 date of May 4.

The earliest date is March 25, which occurred in both 2000 and 2012.

This year's free contest drew 186 entries.

Recent ice outs

Here are the ice-out dates on Lake L'Homme Dieu since 2000.

2020: April 16

2019: April 23

2018: May 4

2017: April 1

2016: March 26

2015: April 11

2014: April 26

2013: May 13

2012: March 25

2011: April 22

2010: April 2

2009: April 21

2008: May 2

2007: April 18

2006: April 9

2005: April 11

2004: April 7

2003: April 13

2002: April 16

2001: April 26

2000: March 25

By Al Edenloff

Al Edenloff is the editor of the twice-weekly Echo Press. He started his journalism career when he was in 10th grade, writing football and basketball stories for the Parkers Prairie Independent.