Near Record Ice Cover

The NASA satelite image above shows the near-record ice cover over the Great Lakes as of Valentine's Day 2014. Ice cover is estimated to be at 88.4%. Lake Superior and Lake Huron are nearly entirely frozen over. Lake Ontario is only about 34% frozen over. The 1979 record of 95% ice cover may be safe as warmer temps are expected this week (finally!). If you have hopes of getting out on the frozen lakes this winter there's no time like the present!

Amazing Satelite Images

I posted the other day about the Great Lakes freezing over and have had many conversations with other photographers about the great photo opportunities that such a cold winter make possible. Personally, the assurance that the frozen lake surface is safe to venture out onto is more than enough to ask for. The thought of falling through thin ice terrifies me! But the possibilities of making beautiful images in such conditions entices me to explore the frozen coastline carefully. Pictured above is a recent NASA satelite image of the Great Lakes region. The lakes are even more frozen over today. Lake Superior is nearly frozen over and Green Bay is completely frozen over. Conditions will remain safe for some arctic-like exploration for a few weeks. Once the ice cover starts to break up, even more spectacular photo opportunities will occur when the ice sheets move toward and crash into the eastern coastlines!