Yeah I’m not opposed in principle, but by the time this current mild spell this week wanes (at least to an atmosphere that can support snow), we’re getting into mid-February and it’s getting pretty late to freeze everything into mid-winter form. Up in Rangeley it’s not that late but down here if you have open water in mid-February, it’s pretty hard to bring that back to weeks of ice. You’d need like a solid 5-7 day cold snap and then no torches right after it.
Unfortunately that type of look is not in the cards. We may get a snow threat or two but the temps look to run pretty mild…maybe a flip later in the month. But this SE ridge is pretty robust, so the more pragmatic side of me says I’d rather just mail it in at this point instead of hoping for cold/snow that is going to be tough to come by.
We’ll still get a few snow threats. My aim at this point is to root for us running into a big dog late this month or early March and then call it a season. I’ve given up on the pack and pond ice fetish until next year. I did get out on the ice today with the boys and it was great. Not cold but 4-5” thick black ice on the local pond.