SUN JOURNAL • March 31, 2024
Lake Auburn saw ice-out March 12, the earliest ever recorded since 1836. There were about 55 days between ice-in and ice-out this winter, which is also the shortest duration of ice cover since ice-in information started being recorded in 1953. Maine’s overall average daily temperature, December 2023 through February 2024, was 5.8 degrees warmer than normal at 24.2 degrees. It was the warmest winter recorded for the northern region of the state. This warming trend was largely due to three factors: An El Nino weather pattern, the earth’s natural fluctuations in weather patterns, and climate change, according to Ivan Fernandez, professor emeritus and climate research scientist at the University of Maine in Orono. The result was less snow and lake ice, limiting Maine’s traditional outdoor activities including, skiing, snowmobiling and ice fishing.