The pond has just under two inches of black ice this afternoon. Some lakes in the region kept the Thanksgiving snow and turned it into snow ice. But this stuff is clear, hard and beautiful.
The way it’s been growing, combined with tonight’s forecast, should give us close to three inches by tomorrow. The snow forecast for Thursday is slowly morphing into a wintery mix so we might dodge that bullet. However, anyone wanting a black ice fix would be advised to get it tomorrow.
In addition to all the thankfulness we’ve been expressing all weekend, we can now be thankful for black ice. Tolman Pond was skimmed over today. Tolman has long been used by nearby iceboaters as a proxy for Plymouth, which appears to be well on its way to a freeze. Sub 20 temps the next few nights combined with light winds and days below freezing should just about do it.
Chance of snow late Thursday, but that’s a long way off yet and in the meantime conditions look to be just about perfect. Plymouth has long been known to be ready to go on the first weekend in December.
Stand by for ice reports. Also, best of luck to all the iceboaters heading to Minnesota this week for the Great Western Challenge. Conditions there appear to be shaping up nicely, and if they are real good the 2024 ISA
will be held there the following week.
For those of you with a valid passport and a hankering for ice, the forecast for Ste. Aurelie is looking very hopeful. We’ve had quite a few early season sails in this delightful small village just across the border. The pension with the lousy food and wonderful hosts is still open. Stand by for updates, but meanwhile, be ready to roll.
Forgot to point out that just to add a bit of drama to the excitement of the first regatta, Onkomojarvi is right at the Russian border. Not only that, but there is a peninsula on the east side of the lake that is within Russian territory.
One would like to report that this would allow the Russian DNer’s to easily participate, but…
Or should we say it in Finnish, Ensimmäinen! Via Swedish DNer Dideric Van Riemsdijk, here’s a look at the first runners on the ice at the first regatta of the season, DN Finland’s Week 46. They are just above the Arctic Circle at Onkamojärvi, Finland. Who will be the FIRST in North America?
Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club 