Lake Michigan ice cover at record low
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Ice along the shoreline of Lake Michigan near downtown in 2021. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images
February has been unusually dry in the Chicago area.
The big picture: Beyond almost record-breaking warm temperatures, downtown Chicago has seen little to no snow this month, and ice cover on Lake Michigan has reached a record low for this time of year.
Why it matters: Declining lake ice can reduce water levels, which can limit lake effect snow and harm ecosystems.
Context: The Great Lakes — the planet's largest freshwater system — are warming, causing wild fluctuations in lake water levels. They supply drinking water for over 30 million people, including Chicago residents.
- According to a new Climate Center study, the Great Lakes region has experienced some of the largest increases in both winter average temperatures and extremely warm winter days since 1970.
- Studies have shown that warmer winter air strongly increases the likelihood of ice loss on the Great Lakes.
Zoom out: The absence of ice this winter coincides with record warm temperatures and a "lost winter" that residents of the Great Lakes states and Midwest have experienced, Axios' Andrew Freedman reports.
- According to NOAA, Lakes Erie and Ontario have lake ice that is tied with historic lows, while Lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron (typically some of the coldest) are at record-low levels of ice.
- The below-average snow and ice and unusually mild conditions are probably tied to climate change and a more transient El Niño climate pattern.
- This is also wreaking havoc on recreational industries reliant on winter weather.
What we're watching: If this warm and dry trend continues, we could have the warmest winter on record. (Meteorological winter ends at the end of February.)