Ice-Out Declared On Lake Minnetonka
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Officials with the Freshwater Society announced Sunday that Lake Minnetonka, the metro area's largest lake, is ice free.
The ice-out declaration came Sunday after the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Water Patrol and Freshwater Society members concluded that it was possible to boat through all the lake's channels and 37 bays.
This year's ice-out on Lake Minnetonka came 19 days earlier than 2014's, the Freshwater Society said.
The median ice-out date for the lake is April 14.
But just because the ice is off the lake doesn't mean the water is ready for spring and summer activities.
Authorities cautioned over the weekend that the current water temperature of most lakes this time of year is 43 degrees. At that temperature, hypothermia can set in within 3 minutes.