News release: “As the mild winter of 2012 yields to an early spring, the Great Lakes are relatively free of ice. However, as longtime residents of the region know, ice cover on the lakes can vary dramatically from one winter to the next. Researchers at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab (GLERL) have been monitoring ice cover on the Great Lakes for decades. These measurements have revealed trends and climate links to variations in ice cover. A recent paper published by GLERL scientists in the Journal of Climate documents a downward trend of 71 percent from 1973 to 2010. In addition to research on ice cover trends, GLERL maintains the Great Lakes Coastal Forecasting System which provides current and predicted ice cover and other conditions. See http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/res/glcfs/. The amount of ice on the Great Lakes has implications for shipping, electric and water utilities, and also the region’s weather.”