Ice-in arrives, and with it the possibility of peril

GILFORD — Only recently has there been much interest in the "ice-in" date, according to the man who monitors Lake Winnipesaukee for the arrival and departure of its ice cover. Even today, there are those who question making the announcement because it could lead to people thinking it is safe to cross the Big Lake.

Dave Emerson, president of Emerson Aviation, said he always makes it clear that, just because the lake is covered with ice, it does not mean it's safe.

"I'm still seeing a lot of black ice, and it's nowhere near safe," Emerson emphasized during a telephone conversation Tuesday, a day after his ice-in announcement. "There are areas where it's no more than an inch thick."

While the forecast is calling for more freezing temperatures that will thicken the ice, Emerson said he is concerned about the snowfall that is predicted to be on the way.

"When it's covered with snow, you can't tell where the ice is safe," he said.

"Lake Winnipesaukee, even in the best of times, is unpredictable because of the number of streams running through it," he continued. "They can be anywhere in the lake, and will keep the ice from getting thick. Even in the toughest periods, you still hear of people going through the ice. The springs are a natural bubbler."

Yet the ice-in date has become important to many people.

"There was never much interest in ice-in until 2010 or 2011," Emerson said. "Five, six, or seven years ago, I started seeing an interest from people who want to check on their places in the middle of winter, and do work on their places. The fishing derby people wanted to know when the ice was in. Businesses like Winnipesaukee Marine Construction and Watermark are interested in taking their ATVs out to pull materials."

Businesses and ice fishermen are familiar enough with the lake to know when and where it's safe to venture out on the ice, but the problem comes from visitors who want to take big trucks and RVs out onto the ice, Emerson said.

That is why he always offers a caveat to his ice-in announcements, emphasizing the danger.

Emerson said he began watching for ice-in last Thursday and Friday, when the temperatures dropped.

Because he is out flying every day with student pilots, Emerson said he is able to keep an eye on the ice cover. Over the weekend, the wind kept whipping up, pushing the forming ice across to areas where the lake was already frozen.

"I figured on Friday night that ice-in would be Sunday or Monday," he said.

Sure enough, the lake was covered in ice on Monday morning.

"Alton Bay is where it seems to start," he said. "When that happens, I know to watch for the rest of the lake freezing."

He said that, because of the wind and the way the ice froze this year, there is less black ice and more of the thicker, opaque ice. That is good news for the loons, he said, noting that, when they encounter black ice, they may mistake it for open water and become trapped in the ice.

As temperatures fluctuate and the lake becomes covered with snow, Emerson said caution is needed.

"Personally, I'd never go out on the ice," he commented.