Grocers predict Rainy Lake ice-out

Each year, The Journal takes a sampling of a group of people and asks, “When do you think the ice will go out on Rainy Lake?”

The ice is considered out the first day that a boat may travel on Rainy Lake from Island View to Kettle Falls unimpeded by ice.

Ice out has been recorded annually for both Rainy and Kabetogama lake since 1930. Depending on the type of winter, the spring temperatures and ice thickness, the ice has consistently cleared from Rainy Lake in the last week of April or the first week of May.

The earliest date ice out occurred on Rainy Lake was last year on April 10.

The grocer’s reasonings and guesses for this year’s date were from all different directions.

Barbara Saxton, service counter cashier at SuperValu, had the earliest guess of the group with April 16.

“That is the day I’m coming home from my vacation,” she said with a laugh. “I just feel like it is going to be that day.”

Saxton is hoping that last year’s early ice-out date will reflect her guess, too.

After asking other grocer’s guesses, SuperValu Manager Todd Coulombe predicted the latest of the predictions with May 3.

“I’m going with my gut feeling,” he said. “With the weather slowing down and getting colder, I think it’ll be later.”

Super One Manager Dave Stewart took a different approach with his guess.

“I Googled the average ice-out date, which is May 3, and after talking to several people, I thought May Day would be the day to pick,” he said confidently. “It’ll definitely be May 1.”

Super One cashier Paula Walkoviak agreed to the later-than-last year date, but doesn’t see the ice still there in May. After thinking about it, she guessed April 24.

“I thought about April 29, but I think that’s a little too late,” she said. “I haven’t been out there, but I hear the ice hasn’t been stable all year, so who knows?”

Del Peterson, owner of J&D Family Foods in Littlefork, considered the weather being colder now than it was last year at this time and chose April 20.

“Plus, that’s my birthday,” he said.

His son, Shawn, who is a cashier for J&D Family Foods, was uncertain of his guess because he hadn’t been on the ice at all during the winter. After some consideration, he went with April 25.

“That’s purely a wild guess,” he said.

The Journal doesn’t have a prize if one of the selected grocers happens to be correct on their predictions, but they were reassured they could hold bragging rights for the year.

Rainy Lake and Kabetogama Lake ice out dates

Rainy Lake

1930 May 3

1931 May 5

1932 May 7

1933 May 6

1934 May 6

1935 May 8

1936 May 13

1937 May 7

1938 May 3

1939 May 5

1940 May 10

1941 April 25

1942 April 25

1943 May 4

1944 May 11

1945 April 23

1946 April 22

1947 May 11

1948 May 6

1949 April 28

1950 May 22

1951 May 9

1952 May 4

1953 May 4

1954 May 14

1955 April 23

1956 May 11

1957 May 7

1958 April 22

1959 May 6

1960 May 16

1961 May 8

1962 May 7

1963 April 30

1964 May 6

1965 May 7

1966 May 15

1967 May 5

1968 May 6

1969 April 28

1970 May 9

1971 May 2

1972 May 16

1973 April 23

1974 May 11

1975 May 10

1976 April 18

1977 May 3

1978 May 10

1979 May 12

1980 May 2

1981 April 29

1982 May 7

1983 May 1

1984 April 28

1985 April 30

1986 April 23

1987 April 18

1988 May 6

1989 May 6

1990 April 29

1991 April 27

1992 May 7

1993 April 30

1994 May 8

1995 May 2

1996 May 18

1997 May 5

1998 April 13

1999 May 1

2000 April 22

2001 May 1

2002 May 4

2003 May 5

2004 May 1

2005 April 23

2006 April 16

2007 May 4

2008 May 14

2009 April 29

2010* April 10

Kabetogama Lake

1952 April 28

1953 April 30

1954 May 4

1955 April 20

1956 May 9

1957 May 2

1958 April 17

1959 April 30

1960 May 10

1961 May 6

1962 May 4

1963 April 28

1964 May 3

1965 May 5

1966 May 14

1967 April 25

1968 April 29

1969 April 25

1970 May 6

1971 April 30

1972 May 12

1973 April 21

1974 May 9

1975 May 8

1976 April 18

1977 May 1

1978 May 5

1979 May 10

1980 April 28

1981 April 18

1982 May 5

1983 April 26

1984 April 24

1985 April 28

1986 April 18

1987 April 17

1988 May 2

1989 May 6

1990 April 26

1991 April 25

1992 May 5

1993 April 29

1994 April 25

1995 April 27

1996 May 18

1997 April 29

1998 April 13

1999 April 30

2000 April 20

2001 May 1

2002 April 30

2003 May 1

2004 April 28

2005 April 20

2006 April 16

2007 April 30

2008 May 9

2009 April 29

2010* April 4

*Earliest ice-out dates for the lakes.