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Click Here 46 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, February 26, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend January 18, 2004 Since you asked Crater Lake freezes are infrequent Does Crater Lake ever freeze? — Diane C., Central Point The short answer is "yes," Diane, but not often. You’ve probably heard the phrase "once in a blue moon" to describe something rare or unusual. That’s about how often Crater Lake freezes. It’s been more than 50 years since ice completely covered the lake. During the winter of 1949 the lake looked like something from the Arctic for more than two months. Park rangers who ventured out onto the ice found the thickness varied dramatically, from about 12 inches along the edge to about two inches where the lake was about 1,000 feet deep. Advertisement Before that winter, the only other time the lake has been known to freeze over was during February 1924, but ice covered the water for only four days. There have probably been other ice-ups, but no one was there to record them. People have been watching the lake in earnest only since around 1900. The lake rarely freezes because the water stores heat. National Park Service publications explain that the water temperature holds steady at about 38 degrees about 200 feet below the lake’s surface. When cold winter air cools the surface water it becomes denser and sinks, forcing up less dense warmer water. This "turnover" usually prevents ice formation, but in 1949 the upper 200 feet of water cooled down to 32 degrees and the surface water was cold enough to freeze. The lake froze over in March during that memorable winter, and the ice didn’t go out until May. It nearly froze again in April 1983, when ice covered approximately 95 percent of the surface. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times