Lake Minnetonka Ice Out History
On Lake Minnetonka, the ice is designated as "out" when it is possible to make way by small boat from any one shore to any other shore through any passage on the lake. Ice-out dates have been determined using this method since 1968. Previous methods included: When ice was 90% gone, when a boat could circle Big Island, when a boat could travel between Wayzata and Excelsior, when a car fell through the ice, or by visual observations from limited lake locations.
- Earliest Ice-Out: March 11, 1878
- Latest Ice-Out: May 8, 1856
- Earliest to Latest: 59 days
- Most Common Ice-Out: April 17 & 18 - 9 times.
- Average Ice-Out: April 15*
- *Ice-Out has never occurred on this date.
- 149 Years of Lake Minnetonka Ice-Out History
- 1855-2008
- (130 years known- 24 years unknown)
| March |
| 11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
| 1878 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2000 |
- |
- |
| 21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
29 |
30 |
| 1987 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1910
1981 |
- |
- |
1858
1945 |
| April |
| 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
1889
1902
1911
1968
|
1905
1946
1999
2010
|
1921
1976
1995
1998
2007 |
1942
1966
1973
1990 |
1896
1930 |
1919
1931
2004 |
1925
1929
1935
1988 |
1907
1953
1986
1991 |
1894
1938
1967
2005
2006 |
1934
1959
1963
1977
1992 |
| 11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20 |
1892
1948
1958
1994 |
1908
1927
1943
1954
1955
2003 |
1903
1912
1949
1964
1984
1985
2009 |
1877
1887
1918
1932
1941
1961 |
- |
1890
1900
1906
1960
2002 |
1914
1915
1920
1922
1939
1969
1971
1978
1989 |
1855
1897
1989
1913
1917
1926
1928
1933
1997 |
1916
1937
1947
1970
1974
1980
1982
1993
2001 |
1936
1957 |
| 21 |
22 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
29 |
30 |
1891
1956 |
1952
1983 |
1901
1923
1944
1979
2008 |
1899
1924
1996 |
1888
1904
1940
1962 |
1909
1972 |
- |
1893
1951
1975 |
- |
- |
| May |
| 1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
| 1965 |
1950 |
- |
1859 |
1857 |
- |
- |
1856 |
- |
- |
