Guessing of lake ice break-up annual community tradition

This column is brought to you by the Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation and the Ski Heritage Center Museum of Skiing. Enjoy these fascinating stories about the rich and colorful history of the Flathead Valley, and enter the Whitefish Ice Breakup contest going on this year!

Reprinted from the Whitefish Pilot, April 19, 1957.

Electric Clock Records Whitefish Lake Ice Break-up at 4:27 p.m. Sunday (March 14)

The ice breakup on Whitefish Lake stopped the electric clock, placed by the Lions Club to record the time at 4:27 p.m. on Sunday. Whitney Smith guessed the closest time of the breakup sponsored by the club, with figure of 4:26. Mr. and Mrs. Smith will be the guests of the club at the annual Ladies Night event on April 24. Olaf Eire picked the time just before the winning time and Elaine D. Hamilton just a few seconds afterwards. There were 13 people who guessed within 30 minutes of the actual time at which the clock stopped. The April 14 date was selected by 29 out of a total of 675 who entered the first annual Ice Breakup Contest.

The high winds of the Sunday afternoon rainstorm were responsible for the ice breakup, which over the years has occurred in April 32 times out of the 42 years that records have been kept. This year is the first time that April 14 was the date of the breakup, but in 1917 the event took place on April 15 and in 1938 on April 12.

The earliest date on record for the breakup is March 11, 1926. In two other years the ice broke up in March also; the latest dated listed since 1915 is May 8 in 1920, with three other years having a May breakup. In 1934, 1941 and 1953 the lake did not freeze completely over.

In charge of the ice breakup contest for the Lions Club were Dr. R.K. Schroeder, Russell Abell, Neal Umholtz and Jack Zerr. Funds raised during the event will be used by the club for the Lions Club youth activity fund for the community. Included in the club’s program are support of the Peewee baseball program, the annual Halloween program and sight correction program.

Record of ice breakups on Whitefish Lake:

By A.J. Creon

1915 on March 27, 1916 on March 29, 1917 on April 15, 1918 on May 3, 1919 on April 23, 1920 on May 8, 1921 on April 11, 1922 on April 29, 1923 on May 3, 1924 on April 27, 1925 on April 4, 1926 on March 11, 1927 on April 9, 1928 on April 21, 1929 on April 28, 1930 on April 21, 1931 on April 18, 1932 on April 8.

By A.J. Quam

1933 on April 19, 1934 did not freeze, 1935 on April 30, 1936 on April 29, 1937 on April 21, 1938 on April 12, 1939 on April 3, 1940 on April 1, 1941 did not freeze, 1942 on April 16, 1943 on April 16, 1944 on April 19, 1945 on April 18, 1946 on March 30, 1947 on April 15, 1948 on April 27, 1949 on April 21.

By Whitney Smith

1950 on April 21, 1951 on April 17, 1952 on April 19, 1953 did not freeze, 1954 on April 21, 1955 on May 2, 1956 on April 20.