Lakeville Lake Freezing Over Bit by Bit

SALISBURY — Lake Wononscopomuc, which has been mostly ice-free during the mild winter, is now a little more than half frozen over, according to Walt Shannon, the lake’s official ice watcher.

"We haven’t had any sustained cold until recently," Shannon said.

Shannon checked the lake over the weekend, walking to the end of the jetty on the western edge of the Town Grove. He reported "a huge open space with geese all around it."

Last year the lake did not freeze over until March 1, and then only briefly. Lake Wononscopomuc is typically the last in the town to freeze over, not only because it is one of the deepest, but because it is mostly spring-fed by 55-degree water that enters well below the surface, Shannon said.

And this year, abundant rains in the late fall and early winter led to the entry of even more spring water than usual. This has prolonged the cooling of the water.

Shannon explained that there are three pools at least 90 feet deep where spring water enters. The area near The Hotchkiss School campus is usually the last to freeze over.

Shannon said research has revealed that bodies of water generally do not freeze over until all the water has reached at least 39 degrees. As surface waters cool, warmer waters below rise to the top until they reach 39 degrees, at which point they stay put, allowing the surface water to cool to 32 degrees and freeze over.

While examining the lake over the weekend, Shannon saw a bald eagle circling about 150 feet above the western end of the lake. The bird was taking advantage of whatever warm-air currents were left, he said.

Some of the town’s other bodies of water have frozen over. Ore Mine Pond recently froze over, as did West Twin Lake. The deeper and larger East Twin Lake was only about 85 percent frozen, according to Channel Road resident Richard Paddock.

Fisher’s Pond, off Route 41 near the Massachusetts line, is completely iced over.

The Housatonic River near Dutcher’s Bridge has ice on the shoreline but the middle was still open and flowing as of Sunday.

The seven-day forecast calls for daily highs in the 20s and low 30s, with nightly lows in the teens, so freezing is likely to continue, Shannon said.