Bear Lake has Frozen over for the first time in five years.
GARDEN CITY – The entire 109 square mile Bear Lake is ice capped or frozen over and the locals are not excited about it.
Although it is not entirely rare having Bear Lake iced over, it has been happening less frequently in recent years.
Claudia Cottle, the co-executive director of Bear Lake Watch – a group of local citizens that try to protect the lake, was not happy to see it freeze over.
“I, personally, was hoping that it wouldn’t happen maybe if I ignored it, it would go away,” she said. “But alas, it’s been over a week, so I’ll acknowledge that Bear Lake was declared iced over.”
Year-round residents don’t like the lake being iced-over because it often causes the valley to stay colder longer into the spring.
“When I drove over the summit the other day, I did notice a few pools of water which are most likely from water oozing up through cracks and pooling on top of the ice,” she said. “These usually re-freeze on these cold, clear nights. With more and colder nights on the way…below 0, burr, I guess I’ll just have to accept it.”
Since 1923, Bear Lake has frozen over 66 percent of the time. In the last 30 years, only 46 percent and in the last 10 years, only 30 percent. The last time Bear Lake froze over was in 2017, Bear Lake hadn’t frozen over in five years.
“Historically speaking, Bear Lake freezes every seven out of 10 years,” said Richard Droesbeke, Bear Lake State Park manager. “I’ve been here 15 years as the park manager and Bear Laker has been frozen-over seven times.”
Bear Lake officially froze over on Thursday, Feb. 3, the park manager said. “And although it is still frozen the thickness of the ice varies. There are springs in the lake and the ice close to the springs is thinner than other parts of the lake.
“The ice is constantly shifting and cracking. There was a potential of fresh ice this week,” Droesbeke said. “On Monday, Jan. 31, 85 percent of Bear Lake was ice. Then we had some strong winds and it turned everything into ice.”
The wind blew sheets of ice over to the southeast side of the lake. The wind can blow in different directions and the sheets of ice can be anywhere on the shoreline.
“We are seeing a lot of people ice fishing and they are reporting the ice is 12 inches thick in some places,” he said. “The last week the temperature has been zero to below zero,” he said. “I don’t think we will see much in the way of thawing anytime soon.”
Generally, in the winter areas around the lake are overcast looking, but when the lake freezes over the sky goes blue because there is no moisture escaping into the air.
“When the lake is ice capped it lowers the temperature of the area five to 10 degrees colder,” Droesbeke said. “It’s like an icebox.”
The calendar may indicate Spring is coming soon, but in Bear Lake country an iced-over lake indicates warmer temperatures are still a ways away.