What is the "Ice In | Ice Out Contest"?

Every year, the members of the LRIA submit their guesses for the exact day and time that Lake Riley will freeze solid (Ice In) and then when it will thaw in the spring (Ice Out).

Some people rely on publications like the Farmers Almanac.  Others use seismic and atmospheric measurements to predict exactly when the lake will freeze or thaw.  Some residents proclaim that they can just "feel it in their bones".  However, talking with some former winners, their strategy has been less scientific and more of a "random guess".  Regardless of how you arrive at your decision, you can join in the fun by submitting an entry.


Rules of the Game:

• All submissions must be received by November 15th
• Open to current LRIA members.  Not a member?  sign up here
• Only 1 entry per LRIA member (couples can submit a separate guess for each person)
• All valid entries will be posted here on the website after the 15th. 
• Winners will be contacted via email. 
• Official time and date of Ice In and Ice Out is determined by the members of the Social Committee.  

 Thanks to John Bushey and Anne Florenzano for keeping these charts current!

Ice-in date for 2016 is December 13th. After a long and mild fall, winter weather moved in swiftly. Most of the lake was frozen over on the morning of December 10th, but a few lingering holes of open water were host to trumpeter swans and geese for several days. Overnight temperatures below zero finally sealed the ice on the 13th. At least initially, the weight of 8 inches of snow that fell on the new ice on the 10th has caused a slushy, poor surface to the lake.

Ice Out on March 23, 2017.  The last day of March puts this ice-out in a solid historically average timeframe. Here is the graph showing the trend line, and despite some very late ice-outs in the last decade, the average has moved slowly earlier over the years, by about a week.

The third-earliest open water came fast this year with the warmth this spring.
​Earliest Ice-out dates:
2000  -  March 8
2001  -  March 14
2016  -  March 16
Our latest Ice-out was on April 28th, 2013, a whopping 44 days later than this year!
Although Lake Riley is not included, the Minnesota DNR has a nice chart that shows the 2016 Lake Ice Out Dates.

2019 Ice In/Ice Out Winner!

Congratulations to Chad Henfling for winning both the Ice In and Ice Out guesses this year.  For his amazing feats
​of clairvoyance, Chad won both trophies and two $30 gift cards to Lion's Tap restaurant.

​His winning guesses were:

Ice In:  December 1 at 8:00am
Ice Out:  April 9 at 8:00am