95 percent of Lake Erie is frozen over. That’s the largest percentage since 1996 when the lake was completely frozen over.
It’s also currently the largest percentage of any of the Great Lakes.
When looking at individual lakes, just over 92 percent of Lake Superior, just under 88 percent of Lake Huron, almost 95 percent of Lake Erie, and around 53 percent of Lake Michigan is ice covered. Much deeper Lake Ontario is only about 29 percent of ice covered.
Granted, Lake Erie is the smallest and most shallow of all the Great Lakes.
Still, brr.
Additionally, the ice coverage between all of the Great Lakes combined is the largest we’ve seen this century, totaling a wild 78.7 percent.
This article appears in Feb 5-11, 2014.
Actually, Lake Ontario IS the smallest Great Lake in terms of area. Lake Erie is the second smallest in area, but you are correct that it is the most shallow of the Great Lakes.
So….is that a green light to load up the van and take a short-cut to Canada?!?
@eaccombs:
Only in surface area is smaller on Lake Ontario. Its surface area is 7,320 square miles, but because it so much deeper, its volume is 393.5 cubic miles (1,640 km³).
Erie, on the other hand does indeed have a larger surface area of 9,940 sq miles (25,744 km²), but because it is much shallower, its volume is far less than half of Ontario, at 115.2 cubic miles (480 km³).
I believe that is why Erie is always listed as the smallest Great Lake.
Lake Erie is only the shallowest. Ontario is the smallest
Lake st. Clair is the shallowest! Come on guys!
You’re all wrong…the smallest AND the shallowest is actually Lake Champlain!
Chuckles the Clown
Really, the only thing this means is that it’s going to be a cold spring.
Well, at least once it freezes over, we won’t get lake effect snow from Lake Erie anymore
What is the source / agency is the source for this data, “Lake Erie is 95 Percent Frozen Over “?
Thank you – Vagn