Historical changes in lake ice‐out dates as indicators of climate change in New England, 1850–2000

Abstract
Various studies have shown that changes over time in spring ice‐out dates can be used as indicators of climate change. Ice‐out dates from 29 lakes in New England (USA) with 64 to 163 years of record were assembled and analysed for this study. Ice‐out dates have become significantly earlier in New England since the 1800s. Changes in ice‐out dates between 1850 and 2000 were 9 days and 16 days in the northern/mountainous and southern regions of New England respectively. The changes in the ice‐out data over time were very consistent within each of the two regions of New England, and more consistent than four air‐temperature records in each region. The ice‐out dates of the two regions had a different response to changes in air temperature. The inferred late winter–early spring air‐temperature warming in both regions of New England since 1850, based on linear regression analysis, was about 1.5°C. Published in 2002 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.