The U.S. Coast Guard has started its winter task of keeping newly formed ice from hindering commercial vessel traffic on the Great Lakes.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which tracks ice cover on the lakes, reports that as of Thursday, Lake Erie is 18% covered in ice and Lake St. Clair is 62% covered in ice. The winter ice is also starting to form in Lakes Michigan, Superior, Huron and Ontario.
Overall, the ice formation for winter 2025-26 is trending at about average for the region, NOAA said. February and March generally have the highest ice concentrations.
Coast Guard Sector Detroit launched Operation Coal Shovel on Friday, with its icebreakers working with Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers in the area of southern Lake Huron to the St. Clair-Detroit River system and into Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, including the St. Lawrence Seaway…