Unseasonably warm weather across southern Wisconsin has taken a toll on the ice. Many lakes, including Lake Mendota, are now candled with shoreline loss and unsafe for racing. (Some of our members have had firsthand experience with candling on Mendota recently.) As a result, there will be no 4LIYC ice sailing on February 28 or March 1.
Candling occurs when solid ice breaks down into vertical columns and loses strength, even if the surface still appears intact. Learn more about candled ice here: LINK
In the meantime, here is an ice sailing sighting from an unexpected place.
This video captures the Range Rover campaign featuring Daniel Hearn’s C Skeeter running inside the Oculus at the World Trade Center in New York City. The Oculus serves as the main transportation hub for Lower Manhattan, with thousands of commuters passing through each day. LINK TO VIDEO
Video Link
Iceboaters have long imagined the possibility of clearing snow from frozen lakes to create ideal sailing conditions. The challenge lies in needing thick, solid ice to support vehicles capable of clearing the snow—an effort that often seems insurmountable.
Years ago, the late DN sailor Mark Keifer of Minnesota pioneered snow removal efforts for the Ice Racing Circuit at the St. Paul Winter Carnival. On a snow-covered lake in Tianchi, near Urumqi in western China, crews are clearing the ice for the first Tianshan Tianchi International Ice Yacht Open in conjunction with their winter festival. This historic event will feature DN sailors from Germany, Sweden, and China, competing against the backdrop of the snow-covered Tianshan Mountains.
This event demonstrates that removing snow for ice sailing can be done with enough will and equipment (and likely an unlimited budget.)
Lake Monona froze over in the early morning hours of January 15, 2024. Photo: Ethan Brodsky
On Monday, January 15, Ethan Brodsky, one of our favorite pilots, toured the lakes in Madison. Lake Monona appeared to be completely locked and covered in white frost, which is not snow. We have been blessed with ice due to the brutally cold temperatures. However, we are waiting for the ice to thicken and for the temperatures to be a bit warmer before we start scouting. This is sure to be a topic of discussion during our Wednesday night 4LIYC Zoom meeting. As always, respect the ice and be safe.
There’s still plenty of open water near Middleton, but by the “rowboat” definition, Lake Mendota froze last night. Monona is frozen solid – it was was wide open yesterday (January 14.). Lake Wingra is also frozen solid – it had a small open patch in the middle yesterday. I have to laugh at all the people who were predicting the lakes wouldn’t freeze this year. – Ethan Brodsky
View from Lake Mendota Webcam on January 12, 2024. This is a good thing. Watch the live webcam for ice-making starting Monday.
Southern Wisconsin is currently weathering heavy snow and winds. The blizzard has prompted the postponement of Scott Goetz’s celebration of life, initially scheduled for Saturday, January 13, 2024. The family will likely reschedule when the weather is warmer.
Weather Underground temperature forecast.
We expect very cold weather next week and are hopeful for good ice sailing conditions in the coming days. The good news is that all Madison area lakes are open. Maybe we’ll have ice like Lake Vanem in Sweden right now, pictured below! Keep your runners sharp, it’s coming to southern Wisconsin.
After a week of below-zero temperatures, high winds, and snow, let’s review what Mother Nature left us. The good news is the big lakes were (mostly – see, Mendota) open and missed the snow. The east of Mendota froze on Friday, but as you can see, a large area remained open, at least as of December 24. Monona has an inconsistent freeze with numerous open areas. In other good news, Green Lake and Geneva were liquid as of December 24 and missed the snow.
After a week of bitter cold, the pendulum is swinging back to unseasonable warmth, with possible rain. Will the heat and rain bring the other lakes back online? Stay tuned! Ice Check Webcams Mendota Today MODIS Satellite View AOS Rooftop Lake Mendota Lake Geneva Yacht Club Lake Geneva from Gordy’s
