Saginaw Bay and surrounding areas are starting to see the beginnings of 2020 Great Lakes ice coverage. At this point in the 2020 winter season, across all the Great Lakes, water levels are above those recorded during the same period in 2019. The primary reason is that Michigan has had its wettest year on record since 1901. This beat the old record set in 1986 by just under 1/2 inch of precipitation. 1986 was the last time the Great Lakes were as high. 2020 promises to be a challenging year for owners along the shore and business in harbors and marinas.

Ice coverage data is from NOAA and updated daily. Great Lakes water level data is reported monthly from the Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District.

Great Lakes Ice Coverage Daily Report

Current Great Lakes Water Level Report

The report below is interactive and you can control the display.

The Detroit Army Corps of Engineers has kept records of Great Lakes ice coverage going back to 1973. The map shows the extent of the maximum ice cover on the Great Lakes for each year. Data is from the U.S. National Ice Center and the Canadian Ice Service. Satellite data is combined with other sources to translate daily ice charts into a pixel grid of percent cover.

It is very rare for all the Great Lakes to entirely freeze over. Yet they do experience substantial ice coverage, with large sections of each lake freezing over in the coldest months. During the winter of 2013-2014, extremely cold temperatures covered the Great Lakes and surrounding states. The persistent cold caused 91 percent of the Great Lakes to be frozen by early March 2014. This resulted in late winter of extremely cold temperatures but sunny clear days and nights.

Impact to 2020 Great Lakes water Levels Likely

Great Lakes Water Levels

Ice cover will lessen the impact of evaporation of Great Lakes due to less exposure to the air. It also could lower the amount of lake effect snowfall in the region. Cold temperatures in early January will be a strong indicator if the Great Lakes will approach total ice coverage in the spring of 2020. A high rate of ice coverage will likely mean higher record-setting Great Lakes water levels in the summer of 2020.

Ice Tsunami Destroys Homes Along Great Lakes Shoreline

Related Great Lakes Ice Coverage and Water Level

In the winter of 2018, there were two deaths and one rescue on the Saginaw Bay ice in the Upper Thumb in early February. We found a short video that describes the steps to survive falling through ice even if you can’t get yourself out of the water. It’s a fight for survival. How to Survive Falling Through the Ice

Great Lakes winters can be brutal. Getting your car ready for winter is critical. NOAA is predicting colder-than-average and wetter-than-average conditions are most likely in the Great Lakes and parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Four Ways to Get Your Car Ready for Winter

Five years ago the entire Great Lakes was witness to low water levels not seen since 1964. Marina’s were dredging, boats were being damaged on shallow reefs not seen a generation and lake shipping was facing hard times. There was serious concern about how far it would go and what would happen next. A Look Back – 2012 Marina’s Scramble as Water Levels Dropped

The November 2019 update from the Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District point to an outlook that could mean the Great Lakes will continue to rise and break records in 2020. 2020 Great Lakes Water Levels Look to Break Records