Despite cold temperatures this past week and in the coming days, Maine overall is warming up, and one of the prime examples of this is the state’s lakes.

According to the Maine Climate Council, Maine lakes are warming twice as fast as the air around us, with the lakes of northern New England warming on average 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit per decade since the 1980’s. This trend can be reflected in “ice out dates” on Maine lakes, with state climatologist Sean Birkel saying that these dates are occurring 1-2 weeks earlier on average now compared to what was typical in the 1970s

With these changes come major ripple effects for those wanting to use the outdoors. Last year’s wet winter and lack of snow and ice caused major problems for everyone from ice fishing businesses to backcountry skiers because of the adverse conditions.

“Maine is known as a destination for winter sports, and if things continue the way they have been the past few years, it’s certainly going to have impacts,” Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife spokesman Mark Latti told the Sun Journal this past March. “Winter is a lot different now.”

Thankfully a blast of cold air that arrived late last week is expected to continue through this next week and keep Maine’s lakes frozen, at least for the moment. In the meantime, state officials are urging residents to exercise caution out on the ice after multiple incidents of people falling through this season.