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Mirror Lake Ice Cover

Mirror Lake Ice Record

The Watershed

Get to know the magnificent Ausable River watershed.

Mirror LakeConditions as of: Nov 15 2024, 12:30 pm EST
69°F
HIGH: 0°F at
LOW: 0°F at
Wind:
0 mph West-southwest
High gust 0 mph at
Humidity:
%
Feels like 69°F
Rain:
0 in
Annual Total 0 in
Barometer:
29.82 in Hg
Steady
Water Temp:
70°F
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Mirror Lake Ice Record 1903-2022

Mirror Lake has one of the longest ice records in New York State. Residents in the Village of Lake Placid have been recording the ice cover since 1903, with only a handful of years missing since that time. This record has appeared in national publications regarding changes in ice cover. Since 2015, the Ausable Freshwater Center (AFC) has taken up the maintenance of this record as part of our ongoing work to study and understand Mirror Lake. 

Mirror Lake Conditions

Basic Statistics

Ice-In

There has been a significant change in the ice-in date over the period of record. Ice-in is is defined as the time when ice covers the entirety of the lake with no open water present. Presently, the ice-in date is occuring 17.8 days later on average than it did in 1903. The mean date for ice-in over the course of the entire record is December 4th. The mean ice-in date since 2000 is December 13th. 

Ice-Out

Beginning in 2020, a significant trend in the date of ice-out was also observed.  Ice-out is defined as the time when the lake is navigable from one shore to another without impedement by ice cover. The ice-out date has  been shown to occur 8 days earlier presently than at the beginning of the record. The average ice-out date over the course of the record is April 21st. The earliest recorded ice out occured on March 23, 2012.

 

Duration of Ice Cover

There has been a significant reduction in the duration of ice cover over the period of record. Ice duration is simply the number of days between the ice-in date and the ice-out date.  The mean duration of ice cover over the entire record is 139 days. Presently, the duration of ice cover is 27 days fewer on average than it was in 1903. The reduction in the time of ice cover had been driven primarily by later ice-on, although earlier ice-out dates are beginning to have a greater impact. The mean ice duration since 2004 is 120 days. The shortest duration of ice cover occurred during the 2015-2016 season, at just 83 days. Despite regularly exceeding 150 days of ice cover during the first half of the data record, 1995 remains the only year that has exceeded 150 days of ice cover on Mirror Lake since 1977. 

Research has shown that warming water temperatures and prolonged stratification are a threat to Lake Trout across their native range. The changes observed in the Mirror Lake ice record reflect similar changes observed across North America. These changes represent a potential change in the habitat suitability for cold water fish, such as Lake Trout. These changes, along with the interruption of spring turnover due to road salt, are one of several reasons why understanding the ecology of this vitally important lake is necessary.

Ice Record

The record below was compiled and given to AFC by Dr. Curt Stager of Paul Smith's College. Much of this record was provided to Dr. Stager in a book published by Jerome Thaler. There are discrepancies with the record held by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). These are noted below. 

  • 1903: Ice Out - 4/2/1903, Ice In - 11/21/1903
  • 1904: Ice Out - 5/3/1904, Ice In - 11/17/1904, Duration - 164
  • 1905: Ice Out - 4/26/1905, Ice In - Not Recorded, Duration - 160
  • 1906: Ice Out - 4/24/1906, Ice In - 12/2/1906, Duration - NA
  • 1907: Ice Out - 5/5/1907, Ice In - 11/16/1907, Duration - 154
  • 1908: Ice Out - 4/26/1908, Ice In - Not Recorded, Duration - 162
  • 1909: Ice Out - 5/5/1909, Ice In - 11/26/1909, Duration - NA
  • 1910: Ice Out - 4/2/1910, Ice In - 11/20/1910, Duration - 127
  • 1911: Ice Out - 5/5/1911, Ice In - 11/23/1911, Duration - 166
  • 1912: Ice Out - 4/26/1912, Ice In - 11/28/1912, Duration - 155
  • 1913: Ice Out - 4/16/1913, Ice In - 12/12/1913, Duration - 139
  • 1914: Ice Out - 4/30/1914, Ice In - 11/23/1914, Duration - 139
  • 1915: Ice Out - 4/23/1915, Ice In - 11/24/1915, Duration - 151
  • 1916: Ice Out - 4/27/1916, Ice In - Not Recorded, Duration - 155
  • 1917: Ice Out - Not Recorded, Ice In - 11/25/1917, Duration - NA
  • 1918: Ice Out - 4/30/1918, Ice In - 12/2/1918, Duration - 156
  • 1919: Ice Out - 4/17/1919, Ice In - 12/3/1919, Duration - 136
  • 1920: Ice Out - 4/26/1920, Ice In - 11/26/1920, Duration - 145
  • 1921: Ice Out - 4/4/1921, Ice In - 12/5/1921, Duration - 129
  • 1922: Ice Out - 4/19/1922, Ice In - 11/22/1922, Duration - 135
  • 1923: Ice Out - 4/29/1923, Ice In - 12/15/1923, Duration - 158
  • 1924: Ice Out - 4/29/1924, Ice In - 12/1/1924, Duration - 136
  • 1925: Ice Out - 4/14/1925, Ice In - 11/27/1925, Duration - 134
  • 1926: Ice Out - 5/7/1926, Ice In - 11/28/1926, Duration - 161
  • 1927: Ice Out - 4/19/1927, Ice In - 12/4/1927, Duration - 142
  • 1928: Ice Out - 5/2/1928, Ice In - 11/28/1928, Duration - 150
  • 1929: Ice Out - 4/9/1929, Ice In - 12/2/1929, Duration - 132
  • 1930: Ice Out - 4/30/1930, Ice In - 11/29/1930, Duration - 149
  • 1931: Ice Out - 4/17/1931, Ice In - 12/6/1931, Duration - 139
  • 1932: Ice Out - 5/2/1932, Ice In - 11/27/1932, Duration - 148
    • NSIDC lists the ice on date as 11/23/1932
  • 1933: Ice Out - 4/24/1933, Ice In - 11/16/1933, Duration - 148
  • 1934: Ice Out - 4/23/1934, Ice In - 12/7/1934, Duration - 158
  • 1935: Ice Out - 4/27/1935, Ice In - 12/5/1935, Duration - 141
  • 1936: Ice Out - 4/15/1936, Ice In - 11/24/1936, Duration - 132
  • 1937: Ice Out - 4/29/1937, Ice In - 12/2/1937, Duration - 156
    • NSIDC lists the ice on date as 11/23/1937
  • 1938: Ice Out - 4/18/1938, Ice In - 12/2/1938, Duration - 137
  • 1939: Ice Out - 5/5/1939, Ice In - 11/20/1939, Duration - 154
    • NSIDC lists the ice on date as 11/15/1939
  • 1940: Ice Out - 5/4/1940, Ice In - 11/29/1940, Duration - 166
  • 1941: Ice Out - 4/19/1941, Ice In - 12/8/1941, Duration - 141
  • 1942: Ice Out - 4/23/1942, Ice In - 12/1/1942, Duration - 136
  • 1943: Ice Out - 5/3/1943, Ice In - 11/24/1943, Duration - 153
  • 1944: Ice Out - 5/3/1944, Ice In - 12/3/1944, Duration - 161
  • 1945: Ice Out - 4/1/1945, Ice In - 12/2/1945, Duration - 119
  • 1946: Ice Out - 3/26/1946, Ice In - 12/16/1946, Duration - 114
    • NSIDC lists the ice out date as 3/27/1946 and ice on as 12/7/1946
  • 1947: Ice Out - 4/2/1947, Ice In - 11/27/1947, Duration - 107
  • 1948: Ice Out - 4/8/1948, Ice In - 12/12/1948, Duration - 133
  • 1949: Ice Out - 4/12/1949, Ice In - 11/27/1949, Duration - 121
  • 1950: Ice Out - 4/27/1950, Ice In - 12/13/1950, Duration - 151
  • 1951: Ice Out - 4/22/1951, Ice In - 12/11/1951, Duration - 130
    • NSIDC lists the ice on date as 11/22/1951
  • 1952: Ice Out - 4/19/1952, Ice In - 12/2/1952, Duration - 130
  • 1953: Ice Out - 4/10/1953, Ice In - 12/17/1953, Duration - 129
  • 1954: Ice Out - 4/21/1954, Ice In - 12/4/1954, Duration - 125
  • 1955: Ice Out - 4/18/1955, Ice In - 12/27/1955, Duration - 135
  • 1956: Ice Out - 5/5/1956, Ice In - 12/1/1956, Duration - 160
  • 1957: Ice Out - 4/21/1957, Ice In - 12/4/1957, Duration - 141
    • NSIDC lists the ice on date as 11/27/1957
  • 1958: Ice Out - 4/24/1958, Ice In - 12/1/1958, Duration - 141
  • 1959: Ice Out - 4/26/1959, Ice In - 11/30/1959, Duration - 146
  • 1960: Ice Out - 4/22/1960, Ice In - 12/9/1960, Duration - 144
    • NSIDC lists the ice on date as 12/4/1960
  • 1961: Ice Out - 5/4/1961, Ice In - 12/2/1961, Duration - 146
  • 1962: Ice Out - 4/28/1962, Ice In - 11/19/1962, Duration - 147
  • 1963: Ice Out - 4/20/1963, Ice In - 12/6/1963, Duration - 152
  • 1964: Ice Out - 4/23/1964, Ice In - 12/2/1964, Duration - 139
  • 1965: Ice Out - 4/28/1965, Ice In - 11/25/1965, Duration - 147
  • 1966: Ice Out - 4/25/1966, Ice In - 12/13/1966, Duration - 151
    • NSIDC lists the ice on date as 12/3/1966
  • 1967: Ice Out - 4/14/1967, Ice In - 11/30/1967, Duration - 122
  • 1968: Ice Out - 4/10/1968, Ice In - 12/1/1968, Duration - 132
  • 1969: Ice Out - 4/28/1969, Ice In - 11/28/1969, Duration - 148
  • 1970: Ice Out - 4/30/1970, Ice In - 12/8/1970, Duration - 153
  • 1971: Ice Out - 5/13/1971, Ice In - 12/3/1971, Duration - 156
  • 1972: Ice Out - 5/12/1972, Ice In - 11/21/1972, Duration - 161
  • 1973: Ice Out - 4/13/1973, Ice In - 12/13/1973, Duration - 143
  • 1974: Ice Out - 4/27/1974, Ice In - 11/28/1974, Duration - 135
  • 1975: Ice Out - 5/7/1975, Ice In - 12/11/1975, Duration - 160
  • 1976: Ice Out - 4/9/1976, Ice In - 12/1/1976, Duration - 120
  • 1977: Ice Out - 4/20/1977, Ice In - 12/5/1977, Duration - 140
  • 1978: Ice Out - 5/9/1978, Ice In - 12/3/1978, Duration - 155
  • 1979: Ice Out - 4/26/1979, Ice In - 12/15/1979, Duration - 144
  • 1980: Ice Out - 4/21/1980, Ice In - 11/17/1980, Duration - 128
  • 1981: Ice Out - 4/10/1981, Ice In - 12/5/1981, Duration - 144
    • NSIDC lists the ice on date as 12/1/1981
  • 1982: Ice Out - 4/30/1982, Ice In - 12/10/1982, Duration - 146
  • 1983: Ice Out - 4/12/1983, Ice In - 12/7/1983, Duration - 123
    • NSIDC lists the ice on date as 12/3/1983
  • 1984: Ice Out - 4/28/1984, Ice In - 12/20/1984, Duration - 143
    • NSIDC lists the ice on date as 12/1/1984
  • 1985: Ice Out - 4/23/1985, Ice In - 12/6/1985, Duration - 124
  • 1986: Ice Out - 4/8/1986, Ice In - 12/6/1986, Duration - 123
    • NSIDC lists the ice on date as 11/25/1986
  • 1987: Ice Out - 4/13/1987, Ice In - 12/15/1987, Duration - 129
    • NSIDC lists the ice on date as 12/1/1987
  • 1988: Ice Out - 4/11/1988, Ice In - 12/8/1988, Duration - 118
  • 1989: Ice Out - 4/27/1989, Ice In - 11/28/1989, Duration - 140
  • 1990: Ice Out - 4/20/1990, Ice In - 12/8/1990, Duration - 143
  • 1991: Ice Out - 4/10/1991, Ice In - 12/14/1991, Duration - 123
    • NSIDC lists the ice on date as 12/6/1991
  • 1992: Ice Out - 4/29/1992, Ice In - 12/6/1992, Duration - 137
    • NSIDC lists the ice on date as 11/20/1992
  • 1993: Ice Out - 4/27/1993, Ice In - 11/30/1993 Duration - 142
  • 1994: Ice Out - 4/27/1994, Ice In - 12/9/1994, Duration - 148
  • 1995: Ice Out - 4/7/1995, Ice In - 11/25/1995, Duration - 119
  • 1996: Ice Out - 4/28/1996, Ice In - 12/21/1996, Duration - 155
    • NSIDC lists the ice on date as 11/27/1996
  • 1997: Ice Out - 4/25/1997, Ice In - 11/28/1997, Duration - 125
    • NSIDC lists the ice on date as 11/25/1997
  • 1998: Ice Out - 4/12/1998, Ice In - 12/23/1998, Duration - 135
    • NSIDC lists the ice on date as 12/18/1998
  • 1999: Ice Out - 4/15/1999, Ice In - 12/19/1999, Duration - 113
  • 2000: Ice Out - 4/21/2000, Ice In - 12/3/2000, Duration - 124
  • 2001: Ice Out - 4/29/2001, Ice In - 12/23/2001, Duration - 147
  • 2002: Ice Out - 4/16/2002, Ice In - 11/30/2002, Duration - 114
    • NSIDC lists the ice on date as 11/28/2002
  • 2003: Ice Out - 4/24/2003, Ice In - 12/4/2003, Duration - 145
    • NSIDC lists the ice out date as 4/26/2003
  • 2004: Ice Out - 4/19/2004, Ice In - 12/15/2004, Duration - 137
  • 2005: Ice Out - 4/14/2005, Ice In - Not Recorded, Duration - 120
  • 2006: Ice Out - 4/12/2006, Ice In - Not Recorded, Duration - NA
  • 2007: Ice Out - 4/25/2007, Ice In - Not Recorded, Duration - NA
  • 2008: Ice Out - 4/21/2008, Ice In - Not Recorded, Duration - NA
  • 2009: Ice Out - 4/12/2009, Ice In - Not Recorded, Duration - NA
  • 2010: Ice Out - 4/8/2010, Ice In - Not Recorded, Duration - NA
  • 2011: Ice Out - 4/26/2011, Ice In - 12/18/2011, Duration - NA
  • 2012: Ice Out - 3/23/2012, Ice In - 12/13/2012, Duration - 96
  • 2013: Ice Out - 4/22/2013, Ice In - Not Recorded, Duration - 130
  • 2014: Ice Out - 4/26/2014, Ice In - Not Recorded, Duration - NA
  • 2015: Ice Out - 4/29/2015, Ice In - 1/4/2016, Duration - NA
  • 2016: Ice Out - 3/28/2016, Ice In - 12/11/2016, Duration - 86
  • 2017: Ice Out - 4/16/2017, Ice In - 12/9/2017, Duration - 126
    • Ice first formed on the entire lake on 11/28/2017, melted on 11/29/2017, refroze on 12/4/2017, melted on 12/5/2017
  • 2018: Ice Out - 5/4/2018, Ice In - 11/23/2018, Duration - 146
  • 2019: Ice Out- 4/22/2019, Ice In - 12/1/2019, Duration - 150
  • 2020: Ice Out - 4/6/2020, Ice In - 12/16/2020, Duration - 127
    • Ice first formed on the lake on 12/11/2020, melted later that day and the next, then froze over on 12/16/2020
  • 2021: Ice Out - 4/9/2021, Ice In - 12/20/2021, Duration - 114
    • Ice first formed on the lake on 12/9/2021, melted on 12/12/2021, and then froze over on 12/20/2021
  • 2022: Ice Out- 4/14/2022,  Ice In - 12/13/2022, Duration - 115
  • 2023: Ice Out - 4/14/2023, Ice In - 12/22/2023, Duration - 122 days
  • 2024: Ice Out - 4/1/2024, Duration - 101 days
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