DULUTH, MINN.—Minnesota Sea Grant’s new Minnesota Lakes Thaw Tracker (MELT) tool helps forecast when lakes across the state are likely to lose their ice and anyone can explore predictions for their favorite lake.
Date: Thursday, February 19, 2026
Time: Noon–1 p.m. CT
Webinar: Free and registration required
Join the Practical Water Wisdom webinar for an engaging, free virtual presentation on the latest Thaw Tracker forecast and tips for using the MELT tool. During the webinar, John Downing, director of Minnesota Sea Grant, will break down the 2026 lake-ice forecasts and share tips on how to win your ice-out pool for your favorite Minnesota lake. The webinar and MELT tool are useful for outdoor enthusiasts, lake association members, outfitters, and seasonal business operators planning for spring.
The forecast models behind this year’s predictions have been improved to provide customized ice-out estimates for any lake in Minnesota, taking into account factors like snow cover, lake size, latitude, cumulative cold and thaw conditions. Sea Grant’s models delivered accurate predictions for ice-out in 2024 and 2025, and this year’s upgrades make the MELT tool even more useful.
By selecting a county and lake, users can view forecasted ice-free dates under low, average and high snowfall scenarios and watch how those forecasts evolve as winter turns to spring.
The tool uses the latest weather data alongside historical records of more than 15,000 Minnesota ice-out dates to help Minnesotans plan spring recreation and operations. The MELT tool estimates when lakes are likely to be free of ice, but it does not indicate when ice is safe to walk, fish or travel on. Ice conditions can change quickly, and safety remains the responsibility of individuals.
Minnesota Sea Grant is a system program of the University of Minnesota and one of 34 federal-university Sea Grant partnerships across the country supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Great Lakes and coastal states that encourage the wise stewardship of our marine resources through research, outreach, communication, education and technology transfer.
Additional Information
Minnesota Sea Grant is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Sea Grant Program, which supports 34 similar programs in coastal states throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. It receives funding through the NOAA - Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and the University of Minnesota. The program partners with local, regional and national organizations and is an integral member of the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network.
The Large Lakes Observatory (LLO) is located on the Duluth Campus of the University of Minnesota and is part of the Swenson College of Science and Engineering. The LLO is the only institute in the country dedicated to the study of large lakes throughout the world. We focus on the global implications of our investigations in the areas of aquatic chemistry, circulation dynamics, geochemistry, acoustic remote sensing, plankton dynamics, sedimentology, and paleoclimatology.