Freezing of the Great Lakes in late winter is considered one of the
major reasons why red-necked grebes show up in numbers in the midwest and
else where. According to The Weather Channel's article "Artic Blast Fuels
Rapid Ice Growth in the Great Lakes (16 January 2015)", as of 15 January,
34.1% of the Great Lakes was frozen, up 5.65 % from New Year's Day. Last
year the Great Lakes were 21.2% ice-covered on January 14, with this year's
ice cover 13% higher to date (14 January).
percentage of Great Lakes frozen on 14 January 2015
     Erie     87.4 %
     Huron     44.17 %
     Michigan     27.11 %
     Ontario     26.5 %
      Superior     19.31 %
     With unfrozen water at Ohio being currently at a premium, r. n. grebes
in the next several weeks will be limited to large rivers with gradient,
the Ohio river, and at hot water locations at lake erie.
Good birding,
John Herman

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