{"id":2785,"date":"2023-03-13T02:40:14","date_gmt":"2023-03-13T01:40:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lakebeyond.com\/?p=2785"},"modified":"2023-03-13T02:40:14","modified_gmt":"2023-03-13T01:40:14","slug":"does-lake-michigan-freeze","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lakebeyond.com\/does-lake-michigan-freeze\/","title":{"rendered":"Does lake michigan freeze?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lake Michigan rarely freezes over entirely. It is estimated to happen about every 20 years. The last time Lake Michigan completely froze over was in the winter of 1979.<\/p>\n

In short, yes, Lake Michigan does freeze. However, it doesn’t always freeze entirely and it doesn’t always happen at the same time each year. factors such as the air temperature, water temperature, and wind can all impact whether or not the lake will freeze and how long it will take for it to do so.<\/p>\n

When was the last time Lake Michigan frozen? <\/h2>\n

In spite of the fact that Lake Michigan has never completely frozen over, records dating from the middle 1800s show that it has been as much as 90% or more ice-covered in certain winters. These include the winters of 1903-04, 1976-77, 1978-79, 1998-99, and 2013-14. Even in the coldest winters, therefore, Lake Michigan does not completely freeze over.<\/p>\n

Lake Michigan’s ice pancakes are a result of the freshwater freezing over. To allow for ice pancakes to form, the water must go below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. AccuWeather meteorologist Jake Sojda said in an analysis of the lake’s ice pancakes that this is necessary for the formation of the pancakes.<\/p>\n

Does the Great Lakes freeze over <\/h3>\n