Ice becoming dangerous as unusually warm weather returns
A small fish house is removed from Lake Minnewaska Friday as warming January temperatures make the ice on area lakes increasingly dangerous. Daily highs are expected to be in the upper 30s and 40s for the next 10 days. There could even be a high of 50 Wednesday
After the latest ice-in dates on record, and then a bitterly bold stretch of weather in mid-January that raised the hopes of those who enjoy ice fishing, skating, and snowmobiling, unusually warm weather is again causing concern.
Since Jan. 22, high temperatures have average 36.8 degrees – that is 16.4 degrees above the average of 20.4 degrees. At 22.6 degrees, lows have been 21.8 degrees above the average of 1.5 degrees.
When the low only fell to 30 degrees Jan. 24, it tied the record for the high low temperature set back in 1989.
Based on the 10-day forecast, highs are supposed to be mostly in the 40s with the chance of a high in the low 50s Wednesday. If the high Wednesday gets to 45 degrees, it will break the record high of 44 degrees set in 1987.
Combining the temperatures since Jan. 22 with the 10-day forecast temperatures, the area would see highs that averaged 40 degrees and lows averaging 26.4 degrees through Feb. 12. Highs for that 22-day period would be 17.5 degrees above the average of 22.4 degrees and 22.6 degrees above the average of 3.8 degrees.
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