Last year, Rainy Lake’s ice went out May 3
A nine-day streak of record-breaking warm weather was taken into consideration by a group of student leaders who offered their predictions of when this year’s ice out on Rainy Lake will be.
Falls High seniors who serve on Student Council, were selected by The Journal and asked, “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 lakes 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 dates for both lakes were recorded in 2010. Rainy Lake’s ice went out on April 10 of that year and Lake Kabetogama’s ice dissolved on April 4, 2010. The ice on Rainy Lake has left 25 times in April out of the 82 years recorded.
This year, the group of girls’ predictions were earlier than previous recorded polls given the warmer-than-average March weather.
Brittany Harris had the earliest guess of the group with March 31.
“I think it will be then because the weather is getting a lot nicer,” she explained.
Harris admitted her guess was a shot in the dark, but had confidence that this year the waters of Rainy Lake will flow earlier than ever recorded.
Aleena Wilson, Student Council president, decided to make April 2 her guess.
“It is random,” she said of why she chose the date.
However, as she glanced at a calendar, she added, “I’d be a fool to pick April 1, so that is why I went with April 2.”
Before determining her guess, Chanin Smith noted how excited she was to be wearing shorts in the middle of March.
“I think the ice will be gone April 6,” she said of her guess. “April 6 is a Friday and I like Fridays.”
Smith said also settled on that date because it is two weeks away and she “just really wants the weather to stay nice until then.”
Malinda Porter is an avid golfer and settled with her guess on April 9 to be the day recorded for Rainy’s ice out.
“I am just hoping it is soon because that means we are one step closer to summer and an early golf season,” Porter explained.
The last two seniors to offer their predictions went with dates later in the month of April.
Sarah Maruk-DiQuinzio chose April 17 because 17 is her favorite number.
“It obviously can’t be March 17, because that already passed and there is no way it can be May 17, because that’s my birthday,” she said. “It is definitely going to be on April 17, it’s only common sense.”
Maruk-DiQuinzio’s classmate, Kelsey Foss, had the latest prediction of the group with April 18.
Foss said she selected the day because it was halfway through the month.
The Journal doesn’t have a prize if one of the selected students happens to be correct on their predictions, but they were reassured they could hold bragging rights for the year.
Previous 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
2011 May 3
Lake Kabetogama
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
2011 April 30
*Earliest ice-out dates for the lakes.
