Lake Valentine ImageLake Valentine (Arden Hills, MN) ICE Dates

YEAR
ICE FREE DATE
ICE COVER DATE
 Comments
1989

4/13/89

   Incomplete by April 11
1990 3/30/90 11/29/90 East end open 3/28, melt into lake and open edge water since 3/14
1991 4/4/91 11/2/91 Snowmelt into lake 2/6, east end open 4/3
1992 4/5/92 11/7/92  
1993 4/10/93 11/24/93 90% open by 4/9
1994 3/29/94 11/24/94 Northend and all around lake open (no final ice-out date recorded)
1995 3/27/95 11/17/95 3/15/95 - edge ice gone to 50 feet out
1996 4/20/96    
1997 4/6/97 11/21/97 Melt into Lake consistently all winter
1998 3/28/98 12/16/98  
1999   12/8/99  
2000 3/7/00 11/27/00  
2001 4/14/01 12/20/01

3/18/01 creek open and melt inflow - small kill of carp, northerns, bluegills 4/1/01

On 12/19/01 a strong wind took all ice 85% cover off and then as T dropped following the wind, full ice cover developed for the first time.
2002 4/7/02 11/14/02 2001-2 Warm Winter; Temp to 91F one week after ice-out date, removing ice from most Twin Cities Lakes. Winter very mild with inflow since early Feb.
Cool Fall 2002, cloudy October and mild November
2003 4/1/02 11/23/03

Spring 2003 - Creek water flowed freely into Lake Val for most of March, and the edges of the lake were open for about a week prior to the ice out date of April 1.

Lake ice cover formed in late Oct. - early Nov for a few days and then broke up with strong winds followed by warm temperatures.  The fist major snowfall brought about final full ice coverage on Nov23.
2004 4/2/04 12/13/04

Spring 2004- Creek water has been freely flowing since around mid February and the edges of the lake were open for about a week prior to the ice out date of April 2.

Lake ice cover reached about 80% of the lake starting on November 29, but remained open on the edges and SE end until fully icing closed on December 13.

2005 4/1/05 11/29/05

Spring 2005 Water flow down Valentine Creek into the Lake since early February. Very mild winter.

No ice prior to Nov. 24, when a strong wind mixed the lake and ice formed the next day.  A warm spell Nov 26-28 removed the ice before a final cover formed on November 29.
2006 4/4/06 11/29/06

Spring 2006 - Water flowed into the lake through the creek as open flow almost all winter 2005 through spring 2006.  Lake ice was mostly gone on April 3 and full ice out by April 4.

Lake fully frozen for a final time on November 29.  Ice had formed several times previously but opened up again.

2007 3/26/07 11/27-29/07 Spring 2007 - Cold winter with little inflow until around mid-February and then melt, two large snowfall events, and a warm up in mid-march to a high of 81 brought about the earliest ice-out date since 2000.
2008 4/17/08   Ice out date was the latest since 1996.  Winter was significantly colder than recent records. A melt in mid-February began influx of melt water into the lake via the stream which continued until the late ice-out date.

Bob Kistler
April 26, 2008