Will The Great Lakes Freeze Over This Winter

[GLF]

Who thinks the Great Lakes(other than Superior) will freeze over this year? I do not think they will, and it will be an early brown bite.

What are your thoughts?

[HitMan]

Every year it seems like the Great Lakes get less and less ice cover, resulting in more and more evaporation throughout the winter and lower water levels. Therefore, I definately have to say there will be no severe ice cover on the Great Lakes this winter and I think the inland and even the bigger inland lakes' ice cover is going to be thinner than normal.

[Lion Den]

I'd be happy to see ice on Hamlin Lake.

[CaptLevi]

The Great Lakes rarely freeze over completely anymore. I think it's only happened a couple times in the past 15 - 20 years or so. (with the exception of Superior of course).

As long as this El Nino keeps affecting us, the inland lakes may be hard pressed to freeze either. The weather man says mid 40's again all this week.

[LongLine]

If winter ever arrives, Erie most likely if any do. A good portion of Superior might. Shoreline of Michigan & Huron possible. But no way will Ontario freeze over. Check out the temperature transects on this site:

http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/res/glcfs/

Ontario is very warm. Looks like 4 or 5 degrees warmer than other Lakes, all the way to the bottom except the most NE section. Kind of interesting watching this site over time to see the warming/cooling trends.