lake erie.jpg

An image from the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory shows what Lake Erie looked like Sunday.

(Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Bitterly cold temperatures the past few days have caused the ice cover on Lake Erie to expand to 93.5 percent -- the highest ice coverage out of all the Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory released an image Sunday of an almost completely frozen Lake Erie. This time last year, Lake Erie's ice concentration was even greater, at 95.6 percent. This is a jump from the same time in 2013, when the ice cover was at just 48.2 percent.

Lake Erie's ice coverage spiked in January and continued to climb throughout February. Most areas of the lake are about 90 percent frozen, with some areas reaching 99 percent ice cover. Ice coverage should be reaching its peak for the year, as scientists say mid-February is when Lake Erie is usually the coldest.

The lake reached 100 percent ice coverage only three times in history -- the last time being in 1996. The lowest coverage amount was seen just two years later, at 4.5 percent in 1998.

The U.S. Coast Guard Ninth District in Cleveland was called to assist around twelve snowmobile riders this weekend on Lake Erie who needed assistance or were concerned about ice stability.

The lake is generally safe for people wanting to snowmobile or ice fish, as long as they take precautions, according to Levi Read, Coast Guard public affairs specialist. It's important to avoid ice near moving water and ice containing debris. Read also advises people to gather information about the weather and ice conditions before venturing out.

"As long as you're able to know the difference between good and bad ice, there's a way to keep yourself safe," Read said.

Temperatures Monday are expected to be only slightly higher than they were this weekend, with highs reaching just 11 degrees.