With Ice Out being defined either as the earliest date of a year on which a lake is completely free of ice, or as the earliest date on which the lake can be navigated from a pre-established Point A to a pre-established Point B (as from one end to the other), here are 2016 Ice Out dates on selected New Hampshire lakes, the first three being the earliest dates since record-keeping began:
- Pleasant Lake: March 17
- Lake Sunapee: March 18
- Lake Winnipesaukee: March 18
- Highland Lake: March 18. With Ice-In on January 5, this winter was “one of the shortest fully iced-in winters for a long time,” according to Earle Davis of the Highland Lake Protective Association.
- Bradley Lake: March 15