Ice out is nearly here

I am keeping an eye on the surface of Caesar Pond as ice out may just be early this year! I've kept track of this event since we moved here in 2000, and the earliest ice out date has been March 18th. I declare ice out when the entire pond is navigable, and as soon as the south cove ice breaks up. In most places, ice out is when the ice breaks up enough for boats to navigate without being stopped by ice floes. Here is the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands definition:

"What's Ice Out?This topic has often been debated. For the purposes of this web page, we will consider "ice-out" to be when you can navigate unimpeded from one end of the water body to the other. There may still be ice in coves or along the shoreline in some areas but when a person can traverse the entire water body without being stopped by ice floes, we will consider the ice to be out."

Click HERE for Ice Out dates, from 2003 - 2015, for various water bodies in Maine.