by Deb Whitehorse | Dec 26, 2022 | 2022-2023, Home Page
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
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by Deb Whitehorse | Feb 12, 2022 | 2021-2022, Home Page
Lake Mendota before the snow, on January 13, 2022
SENTINEL-2 SATELLITE
At-home ice checking often begins with a look at MODIS satellite data. “With its sweeping 2,330-km-wide viewing swath, MODIS sees every point on our world every 1-2 days…”
SENTINEL-2 is another satellite that surveys the earth every five days at the equator and every 2-3 days at middle latitudes. SENTINEL-2 is “equipped with an opto-electronic multispectral sensor for surveying with a sentinel-2 resolution of 10 to 60 m in the visible, near infrared (VNIR), and short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectral zones, including 13 spectral channels, which ensures the capture…”
SENTINEL-2 takes a few more steps than looking at MODIS but the views are well worth the effort.
Register for an account, and you can download the views.
- Make sure you are looking at SENTINEL-2
- Search
- Choose the date on the calendar.
- Choose false color for the best ice view.
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by Deb Whitehorse | Jan 20, 2022 | 2021-2022, Home Page
Lake Monona, January 15, 2022 Photo: Ethan Brodsky
Club members are invited to meet at the Olin Park landing on Friday, January 21, 2022, at noon for an ice check in anticipation of club racing. The next update for club racing is Friday, January 21, by 5 PM CT.
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by Deb Whitehorse | Jan 7, 2022 | Home Page
Lake Monona January 7, 2022
Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club racing is called ON for January 7-8, 2022.
Ice checkers found 4-6″ of mostly smooth ice with spotty snow patches. The open spots from yesterday (Thursday, Jan 6) were frozen over but will be marked. Remember, the entire lake is never safe. Review safety here.
Launch is the Tonyawatha landing in Monona. Do not drive on the ice.
First race starts at 10 AM on Saturday, January 8. 2022.
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by Deb Whitehorse | Jan 6, 2022 | 2021-2022, Home Page
Lake Monona from the south shore on Wednesday, January 6, 2022.
4LIYC Commodore Daniel Hearn and Doug Kolner scouted Lake Monona today for the DN Western Region Championship. Though they didn’t find regatta quality ice and the regatta was postponed, Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club sailing for Saturday and Sunday is a distinct possibility.
Daniel reported, “Plenty of ice thickness onshore with 2-3″ of black ice in the middle with an open hole dead center in the middle of the lake. There may be enough space on the east end for club sailing. There was very little snow. The hole could firm up by the weekend.”
Please meet at the Tonyawatha Landing at noon on Friday, January 6, 2022, for a Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club ice check. We will post our decision about club racing by 5 PM on Friday.
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