Our temperatures in February and early March have been above average. But, they still have been mostly below freezing with some short daily highs that reach above the 32-degree mark (F). This confuses the sea ice that has been accumulating in the shadowed nooks of our coves and the pond ice in our marshes and field ponds.
As the days heat up, the edges of scalloped sea ice have been getting pulverized by the incoming tides, only to refreeze again later.
Our pond ice has been frozen thicker and more uniformly because it has less movement and salinity compared to its salty cousin. But, the ponds are not happy. They’ve been moaning a lot lately, with occasional ice cracks that open with a sound louder than a rifle shot.
(Brooklin, Maine; images taken yesterday)