Lake Mendota will likely freeze tonight

If Lake Mendota freezes tonight, it would be the earliest freeze in 28 years, since the winter of 1977-1978, even more remarkable after the significantly above normal summer and fall in Madison. While unusually early by recent standards, it would only put this year in a four-way tie for 19th earliest freeze since records have been taken in 1853. It’s likely that the urbanization of the area around Lake Mendota has accounted for some of the delay of average ice-in date, but it’s questionable how much (negligible, 1 day, 1 week?).

Lake Mendota Earliest Freeze Dates

1.) Nov. 23, 1880-1881
2.) Nov. 25, 1857-1858
3.) Nov. 29, 1873-1874
4.) Nov. 30, 1872-1873
5.) Dec. 2, 1861-1862
5.) Dec. 2, 1869-1870
7.) Dec. 3, 1929-1930
8.) Dec. 3, 1976-1977
9.) Dec. 4, 1893-1894
10.) Dec. 5, 1886-1887
11.) Dec. 6, 1856-1857
11.) Dec. 6, 1926-1927
13.) Dec. 7, 1859-1860
13.) Dec. 7, 1936-1937
13.) Dec. 7, 1937-1938
13.) Dec. 7, 1942-1943
13.) Dec. 7, 1972-1973
13.) Dec. 7, 1977-1978
19.) Dec. 8, 1858-1859
19.) Dec. 8, 1864-1865
19.) Dec. 8, 1876-1877
19.) Dec. 8, 2005-2006?

Records are from the UW-Madison Limnology Department, http://lter.limnology.wisc.edu/mendota_ice.htm#recent