Lake Superior Ice

Minnesota winters create stunning Lake Superior ice formations and offer new vistas of one of our most popular Minnesota attractions.

We are often asked: "does Lake Superior ice over in winter." The answer is: "very rarely." The lake is so large that an ice sheet covering the entire lake happens only in the coldest of winters.

Below normal temperatures for much of the winter of 2008-2009 did cause the ice to cover nearly all of Lake Superior. Only small areas of open water remained.

A relatively rare blanket of ice rested on the surface of Lake Superior in early March 2009. On March 3, 2009 the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image of the lake and its surroundings.

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Minnesota Vacation Rentals

Lake Superior Vacation Rentals - Cozy lodgings to enjoy after a cold day exploring the icy wonders.

Scuba Diving Under the Lake Superior Ice

Some daring scuba divers venture below the ice of Lake Superior in winter. Here is a video of what it looks like scuba diving Lake Superior under the ice on the greatest of lakes.

Lake Superior Ice Caves

When the conditions are right, as they have been in recent winters, the ice on Lake Superior freezes to a depth that allows visitors to experience the wonders of the ice caves that form along the great lake.

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Related Pages:

Lake Superior Facts

Lake Superior North Shore

Lake Superior Circle Tour

Lake Superior Lighthouses

Lake Superior Agates

Lake Superior Vacation Rentals

Scuba Diving Lake Superior

Lake Superior Fishing Charters

Duluth Minnesota Vacations

Minnesota Water Trails

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