Late February and early March is usually when ice cover peaks on the Great Lakes. But there's not much this year. In fact, ice levels are at or near record lows. In a warming world, is this the new normal?

Physical Scientist Bryan Mroczka joins the podcast this week from the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab to give perspective. Bryan shares the history of ice cover on the Great Lakes and why this year's low amounts are truly exceptional. He discusses the impacts being felt across the region right now and what lingering impacts may be for the rest of 2024. Finally, he looks at the big picture. How common will low ice cover like this be in the years ahead and what does it mean for the people, economy, and environment around the Great Lakes?

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About the Across the Sky podcast

A weekly podcast discussing all things weather and climate. The podcast is hosted by the meteorologists of the Lee Weather Team:

Matt Holiner of Lee Enterprises' Midwest group in Chicago, Kirsten Lang of the Tulsa World in Oklahoma, Joe Martucci of the Press of Atlantic City, N.J., and Sean Sublette of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia.