Winter is here: Ice-in declared on Lake Winnipesaukee

This photo, posted by Dave Emerson of Emerson Aviation in Gilford, shows some of the frozen sections of Lake Winnipesaukee on Jan. 13, 2025, when Emerson declared “ice-in.” He noted on Facebook that “the waterscape is very interesting.”

This photo, posted by Dave Emerson of Emerson Aviation in Gilford, shows some of the frozen sections of Lake Winnipesaukee on Jan. 13, 2025, when Emerson declared “ice-in.” He noted on Facebook that “the waterscape is very interesting.” Emerson Aviation / Courtesy

By DAVID BROOKS

Monitor staff

Published: 01-14-2025 11:41 AM

In the sort-of-official sign that real winter has arrived in New Hampshire, “ice-in” has been declared on Lake Winnipesaukee.

The Jan. 13 declaration was the earliest this event has happened since 2018 and follows two warm winters that almost didn’t have ice-in at all. Last year’s declaration on Feb. 9 was the latest on record dating back decades.

Dave Emerson of Emerson Aviation in Gilford makes the call each year, signifying that the five ports visited by the M/S Mount Washington are covered with ice. It doesn’t mean the entire lake is frozen, which seldom happens.

Ice-in was declared on Jan. 3 in 2018, relatively early. Emerson Aviation has been declaring “ice-out” since the late 1960s but only began declaring “ice-in” more recently.

Now the question is the fate of the other major ice-related Lake Winnipesaukee event: The Alton Bay Ice Runway. This is the only FAA-certified ice runway in the Lower 48 states and it didn’t open at all in the past two winters because the ice never got thick enough. 

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