Great Lakes ice cover plummets to record mid-February low

In the midst of an unusually warm winter across much of the northern United States and southern Canada, the Great Lakes now have the least ice cover on record for the middle of February, which is typically when the ice begins to reach its maximum extent for the season.

As of Feb. 15, ice covered only 6 percent of the Great Lakes, compared with a historical average for the date of 41 percent, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. The previous record low for Feb. 15 was 7.8 percent in 2012.