So how much will snow cool down the lakes?, ...and 100+cm of it?

Up here, we just got a good 50cm from last night into this afternoon (took me about 6 hours to clear the driveway, around the house so I could peel some snow down to reduce the weight on the roof and take most of the snow off the house - all in preparation for the next round of snow that started just before dinner time). Already another 5-10cm on the deck. Enviro. Can has updated our region's alert and now, up to 100cm of snow is likely for some areas but we are preparing for another 20-25cm by tomorrow afternoon and then another 20-30cm from tomorrow night to Sunday morning before this is suppose to let up. Snow blower and snow peeler ready (although I may leave the snow up there because it may be much lighter and fluffier with the colder temps coming so some may blow off too). Very happy there is not a thin layer of ice on the lakes yet or this snow will insulate. Hopefully, all this snow will really cool down the lake so when the cold comes, the ice will form quickly.

Thankfully.... no ice, means no insulated blanket to slow down good quality ice.
Last yr was a disaster. We don't want or need a repeat.

Lucky punks! I went to bed hoping to maybe try my new toy today but we got nothing in North Bay.

I was discussing this with a Buddy.

Early snow can be great for ice formation IMO. Cools the water fast and if it cools enough you can get a wet slush layer that will lock up fast if it stays cold.
I sure hope this happens.

Whew, after a few hours each day to clear the snow, the sun finally came out and it was a nice day to be out there with the snow blower and shovels. I think we got 105-110cm of snow. Glad to hear that it may cool down the lake and help the ice formation...soon. Cold temps are coming - we are getting some minus double digits too...and no high temps breaking the 0oC mark. Hope for some calm nights with the double digits and no more snow! For now.

Went by a small bay nearby and saw snow on top of ice that extended out a good 70-80ft and then open water. Looking better than last year I think, esp. with even colder temps coming soon.

And I'd say there might be a chance I could ice fish your lake around Xmas time...:-)

Haliburton on Monday.

Small lakes skimmed near Haliburton

Another one

Smallest shallowest lakes are skimmed but even some moderately shallow small lakes still wide open. Snow today will ruin anything that’s skimmed. Looks promising for the rest of the month though if the snow ever stops, propblem with the warm Great Lakes is any time it will get cold enough for ice there will be lake effect snow to contend with.

And I'd say there might be a chance I could ice fish your lake around Xmas time...:-)

Don't count those chickens yet...we have three days of above 0oC coming up and with some rain early next week (how the weather forecast changed so quickly, I have no idea). I just cleared another 20-25cm of snow today and it was still snowing with a possible 15-30cm possible before it stops tomorrow. Hopefully, the little bit of rain for a couple of days will melt any snow on ice but...
I am hopeful to get out fishing before the new year anyway.
I also did see a few small ponds and lakes with similar skims of ice like what Mykola showed....but we have had ALOT more snow in Muskoka...we could have been worse - Gravenhurst (wow, 140+ and I am sure they are getting more as we did today and ongoing to tomorrow at least).

It's a start, but next week is not good at all for temps.....after that things should begin to tighten up but again you need that cold and no snow

fingers crossed

I have been watching what’s coming for the Muskoka area and I noticed it won’t get to warm. A couple of degree about zero mostly. Hopefully this will melt some of the snow on the skimmed lakes so they can freeze up when the temps drop again.

I would think for the lake’s that aren’t frozen the snow melt will help them cool the surface water.

ya........wow those temps changed in less than 24 hours......typical