Title: Open water: Madeline Island watches, worries as winter climate shifts | MPR News
Headings: Open water: Madeline Island watches, worries as winter climate shifts
Open water: Madeline Island watches, worries as winter climate shifts
Dan Kraker
Aboard the Madeline Island ferry, Wis.
'Pretty dramatic change'
Small changes, big impacts
Your support matters.

Content: Island residents say they can't rely anymore on the winter ice pack. And that's having a big impact on everyday life. 23 signs: Climate change in Minnesota
'Pretty dramatic change'
The ferry arrives at the town of LaPointe on Madeline Island. Dan Kraker | MPR News
The story of Madeline Island Island's climate shift can be found off the ferry's bow, and in 150 years of data dug up by an ambitious local high school student. First the ferry. Prior to 1999, the region's four ferries never ran all the way through the winter. But in four out of the last 18 winters, the ice hasn't thickened enough to support an ice road. In two other years the road was only open about a week. "That's a pretty dramatic change," said Mike Radtke, marine operations manager for the Madeline Island Ferry Line. "