# Does Lake Erie freeze over?

> Most winters, largely. NOAA GLERL records show Lake Erie's maximum ice cover averaged 80.5% over 54 winters from 1973 to 2026, reaching 100.0% in 1978, 1979, 1996 but only 5.4% in 1998.

URL: https://lakeerie.info/facts/does-lake-erie-freeze · Facts as of 2026-10-04 · Checked 2026-10-04

## Key numbers

| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Average annual maximum ice cover | 80.5% | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory |
| Median | 93.9% | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory |
| Full coverage | 100.0% / 1978, 1979, 1996 | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory |
| Lowest | 5.4% / 1998 | NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory |

## Fifty-four winters of ice

NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory records the largest share of each lake covered by ice in every winter since 1973. For Lake Erie the average of those annual maximums is 80.5% and the median 93.9%: in a typical winter, most of the lake ices over at some point.[1] In 35 winters of the 54 winters the maximum reached 90% or more, and the record shows complete coverage in 1978, 1979, 1996. The exceptions are striking: in 10 winters winters the lake never got past half covered, and in 1998 the maximum was just 5.4%. In the winter of 2025–26 the maximum was 96.0%, reached on Feb 5, 2026.[1]

| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average annual maximum | 80.5% |
| Median annual maximum | 93.9% |
| Highest (100% coverage) | 100.0% in 1978, 1979, 1996 |
| Lowest | 5.4% in 1998 |
| Winters at 90% or more | 35 winters |
| Winters under 50% | 10 winters |
| Winter 2025–26 | 96.0% on Feb 5, 2026 |

## Why Erie freezes more than the others

Shallow water loses its heat quickly. The EPA describes Lake Erie as the shallowest and smallest Great Lake by volume, one that warms rapidly in spring and summer and frequently freezes over in winter.[2] Wikipedia notes that it is usually the first Great Lake to freeze and the most likely to freeze over.[3] Opinions have changed with the record: in 1911 the Encyclopaedia Britannica stated that the harbors froze but the body of the lake never froze completely, which NOAA's satellite-era record of full coverage now contradicts.[4,1]

## This is history, not an ice report

These figures describe past winters only. We never report current conditions. For today's beach advisories, bloom status and weather, use the official sources below. Lake ice is never guaranteed safe; follow the official ice analyses and local authorities.

- [NOAA GLERL Great Lakes ice cover](https://www.glerl.noaa.gov/data/ice/)
- [Canadian Ice Service](https://ice-glaces.ec.gc.ca/)
- [National Weather Service, Cleveland](https://www.weather.gov/cle/)
- [National Weather Service, Buffalo](https://www.weather.gov/buf/)

## Download the record

The full annual series, one row per winter from 1973 to 2026 with the maximum percentage and its date, is free to download as ice-cover-annual-max.csv from the data page, and the ice-cover chart is available as an image you can embed with a credit link. NOAA's values are public domain; please credit NOAA GLERL as the source of the data.

## Questions people ask

**Has Lake Erie ever frozen over completely?**

Yes. NOAA's annual maximum ice cover record shows 100.0% coverage in 1978, 1979, 1996.

**What was the least ice Lake Erie has had?**

5.4% in 1998, the lowest annual maximum in NOAA's record from 1973 to 2026.

## Sources

1. Great Lakes Ice Cover: annual maximum ice cover and dates (dates_AMIC.txt), NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. https://www.glerl.noaa.gov/data/ice/glicd/dates_AMIC.txt (accessed 2026-10-04)
2. Lake Erie | US EPA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/lake-erie (accessed 2026-10-04)
3. Lake Erie, Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Erie (accessed 2026-10-04)
4. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition (1911), "Erie (lake)", Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition (1911), via Wikisource. https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Erie,_Lake (accessed 2026-10-04)

## How to cite

Lake Erie Gazetteer, Does Lake Erie freeze over?, lakeerie.info/facts/does-lake-erie-freeze, accessed October 19, 2026.

Lake Erie Gazetteer is an independent reference operated by WeldonPC. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency, lake or historical society, museum, Ohio Sea Grant, Lake Erie Waterkeeper, the U.S. Lighthouse Society or Lake Erie Shores & Islands.