Great Lakes Ice Free, At Last, in June!

By Jon Erdman,  Published: Jun 14, 2014, 9:02 AM EDT

Link: http://www.weather.com/news/great-lakes-ice-free-june-20140613

The Great Lakes were finally 100 percent ice-free on June 10, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Lingering patches of ice in parts of southern Lake Superior in late May and early June were the most widespread on record for that time of year dating to at least the early 1980s.

June daytime air temperatures predominantly in the 60s and 70s, along with a handful of wet June days helped melt remaining chunks of floating ice.

Despite this, Lake Superior water temperatures continue to be quite cold, generally in the upper 30s and 40s. One of the coldest winters on record, followed by a persistently chilly spring, were the culprits for this persistent lake ice.