The Big Lake Is Still Frozen Over

Dropped by the harbor today morning.

The harbor seems completely frozen over. This is not surprising despite the small lake in my previous post being ice-free. It takes a lot of energy to melt ice and a larger and deeper body of water remains colder a lot longer than a small and shallow one.

Probably the last area to lose its ice cover is above an abyss in Lake Päijänne about 90 kms north of here. The greatest depth is about 90 meters and the place is near the shoreline next to the largest open body of water in the lake. Statistically, that area is the last areas of the lakes in the entire southern half of the country to freeze over.

Walking over the ice in large lakes can remain dangerous considerably longer than in case of small lakes not only because it takes longer for them to freeze over but because the wind can cause the ice cover to fracture.

It was about +4 C out there this morning.

This is a lively place in the summer. There will be a lot of people having picnics.