While it feels like winter in the Great Lakes is long gone, the official ice season for the lakes has just recently concluded. The northernmost regions of Lake Superior often have lake ice throughout April, even during particularly mild winters like 2023-2024. This year, Great Lakes ice cover officially hit 0.0% on April 20th.
This year’s average ice cover for the Great Lakes as a whole was 4.3%, an official record low since records began in 1973. Annual maximum ice cover reached 16% on January 22, coming in as the fourth lowest annual maximum on record.
Lake by lake stats
Lakes Superior, Huron and Michigan all had record-low seasonal averages, and Lake Huron had a record-low annual maximum ice cover as well. Check out each lake’s summary below.
Lake Superior’s seasonal average was a record low at 2.6%. Superior reached maximum ice cover at 12% on February 19, which is the fourth lowest maximum on record since 1973. However, this lake would have set a record low if not for a cold snap that brought its ice from 2.6% to 12% in a single day.
Lake Michigan also experienced a record-low seasonal average at 4.4%. Its annual maximum was 18.3%, ranking as the seventh lowest on record.
Lake Huron is the only lake to have set a double low record in 2024, with a seasonal average of 7.8% and an annual maximum of 22.7%.
As the shallowest of the five Great Lakes, Lake Erie often sees higher ice cover than the other lakes. This year, Erie’s seasonal ice cover averaged at 4.3%. Its annual maximum was 35.7%, which ranks as the eight lowest on record.
Lake Ontario didn’t quite set any records this year, but its seasonal average was the second lowest on record at 0.8%. Ontario’s annual maximum ice cover was the third lowest on record, reaching 5.3%.
Additional Resources
Learn more about NOAA GLERL’s ice cover research on our ice homepage and 2024 seasonal summary page.
Explore Great Lakes Ice Cover Statistics on the NOAA Great Lakes CoastWatch Node.
Read this Q&A with GLERL Scientists on causes and impacts of this year’s low ice cover.
NOAA Research story: Great Lakes ice cover reaches historic low
Climate.gov story: How warm winters and low ice may impact the Great Lakes