Great Lakes officially reach record for lowest amount of ice cover
(CBS DETROIT) - Another record brought on by mild temperatures in the Great Lakes region has fallen.
Due to continued warmer temperatures this winter, we've observed a steady decrease in ice numbers that have already been incredibly low.
As of the morning of Feb. 12, the Great Lakes have crossed the historic threshold and reached a record low of ice cover basin-wide.
The measurement taken as of the morning was 2.69% ice cover.
Lake Superior, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are at historic record lows. Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are tied with their records and falling to near ice-free conditions.
Ice level records go back to back to 1973.
We continue to experience strong El Nino signals this winter with well above average temperatures.
December ranked in the top five for warmth, and January ranked as the wettest on record.
February has observed only two days with highs below 40 degrees, with Feb. 3 at 36 degrees and Feb. 5 at 39 degrees. Both of these days still registered well above average.
Below are images displaying ice coverage for each of the Great Lakes.