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While Great Lakes ice cover is slipping, a ‘temporary respite’ may be on the way
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Caption
In this satellite image of the Great Lakes from March 1, 2024, very little ice cover is visible during normal peak ice season, which ranges from mid-February to early March. Some ice can be seen across a few northern bays of Lake Superior, northern Lake Michigan, and northern Lake Huron. Lake Erie and Lake Ontario were both virtually ice-free. Image credit: Graphic by NOAA Climate.gov/Satellite imagery from Suomi NPP/VIIRS.
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According to new research from the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR), there's reason to believe that after decades of declining annual average ice cover on the Great Lakes, the trend could slow or even temporarily turn around. The research team emphasized, however, that massive year-to-year swings are occurring, making forecasting ice cover for future winters more challenging, thus making it more difficult for residents, businesses, and the shipping industry to prepare and adapt.
The researchers from CIGLR, which is hosted by the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS), wrote in the study, "It is important that we do not interpret these changes as climate recovery, but rather a temporary respite from the background warming that has continued over the last 125 years."
The research team includes Assistant Research Scientist David Cannon and Associate Research Scientist Ayumi Fujisaki-Manome.
Read the full press release on the Michigan News website.
Study: Century-long data reveals complex trends in ice cover in the Laurentian Great Lakes (DOI: 10.1038/s43247-026-03866-5)