https://www.newsbreak.com/share/4482192131807-news
AI GENERATED
Here's a clear, fact‑based summary of what's been reported about Lake Erie freezing over this winter (February 2026):
🧊 Near‑Total Ice Coverage
• Lake Erie is currently about 95 % covered in ice, which is far above the typical peak (usually around 65‑70 %). This is one of the most extensive ice covers in decades.
• The last time it fully froze over (100 % ice coverage) was February 1996 — in the modern record it's rare.
❄️ Why So Much Ice
• A prolonged arctic cold stretch with many days well below freezing has driven ice growth across the lake.
• Lake Erie is the most shallow of the Great Lakes, which means it cools and freezes faster than deeper lakes.
📸 Big Cracks and Satellite Images
• Satellite images have shown very large cracks—more than 80‑100 miles long—forming in the ice sheet. These cracks are visible from space due to shifting ice and wind.
🧊 Not Entirely Solid
• Even though it's nearly frozen all over, there are still some open water pockets and cracks, meaning the ice isn't uniformly solid everywhere.
🌡️ Outlook
• Forecasts suggest warmer temperatures will return soon, which should cause melting and prevent the lake from reaching full 100 % freeze.
In short: Lake Erie is exceptionally icy right now — nearly all the way frozen — but not completely. The conditions are noteworthy because such extensive ice cover hasn't been seen in decades, and satellite images showing huge cracks highlight how dramatic the freeze has been.
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Has anybody ever walked across lake Erie on the ice?
Yes — there are documented cases of people walking across Lake Erie when it was essentially frozen from shore to shore, though it's very rare and extremely risky:
🥾 Notable Walks Across Frozen Lake Erie
• Dave (David) Voelker in 1978
In February 1978, during a particularly cold winter when Lake Erie was nearly completely frozen, Dave Voelker walked across the lake from Catawba Island (Ohio) to Colchester, Ontario — a trek of roughly 30 miles. He took about two days to complete it and later recounted the experience, including dealing with deep ice ridges, snow, and how desolate the frozen surface felt.
• Early historical crossings
Local historical references also suggest that people may have walked on the frozen lake as far back as the early 1900s (for example, a 1912 crossing by a young man reported in local press) and possibly even in military contexts during the War of 1812, though those older accounts are less well documented and more anecdotal.
❄️ Context
• Lakes like Erie freeze most often in the western basin first because it's shallower than the central and eastern sections, which makes a full shore‑to‑shore ice sheet uncommon.
• Even in years when the lake approaches 100 % ice cover, conditions can still vary significantly — with cracks, thin spots, shifting ice, and open water pockets making crossings dangerous.
🧠 Summary
So, while walking fully across Lake Erie has been done — most famously by Dave Voelker in 1978 — it's exceptional and not something that happens in every cold winter. Such feats have been documented in rare years when ice cover was unusually extensive, but they also involved serious risk and preparation.