RM>> We will get a little above freezing tomorrow for the first time in
  >> a few days, but the long range still shows some quite cold nights
  >> coming so it's bouncing around.. not that unusual for late Feb and
  >> early March.

MP>Similar to here, except the temperatures we are bouncing between are not
  >nearly as cold.  The only night for the next 5 or so that we are expecting
  >to get below freezing is tomorrow (Sun), and that will be just barely.

We dropped to -18c last night and are supposed to drop to -21c tonight
(0F & -6F) but almost up to freezing Monday, and then above freezing
for at least the next 5 days during the day as well as a few nights.

That said, after a brief above freezing day a few days back followed
by this cold snap, most of my pathways, which are primarily on hills,
had the packed snow turn to rather slippery ice so getting around is
a bit of a challenge now..

RM>> I'm thinking now it must be pressure on the ice from above due
  >> to the weight of the heavier snow load on the ice this winter..

MP>That sounds like sound reasoning.  I was thinking maybe the amount of
  >water under the ice was increasing somehow, which was pressuring it
  >out of the hole, but the weight of the snow makes more sense.

Could be from either I suppose. With so little open water this winter
I figured there's not much area for wind to build up pressure, and
the open water would also be a few miles away from here.
Trying to explain it is interesting but the bottom line is I have
to live with it regardles of the cause..

The actual volume of water shouldn't change much until it gets a
lot warmer and snow melt causes lots of run off from further North..

It takes a lot to affect the water depth very much. The surface
area of Georgian bay added to the other bodies of water at the
same level totals over 117,000 sq km (45,400 square miles)..

But it's March now.. Spring is just around the corner..   B)

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 * SLMR Rob  * I feel great!  And I don't kiss badly either!
 * Origin: Capitol City Online (618:250/1)