What will it mean for the Great Lakes once spring finally gets here and that ice melts?

Michigan Public | By Stateside Staff

Published March 5, 2014 at 4:12 PM EST

Michigan was clobbered by snow and ice storms in January and February.

As our long, cold, snowy winter has dragged on, one result can be seen with stunning clarity from outer space. Satellite photos prove that the Great Lakes are nearly totally covered with ice, and we're close to setting a record for the most ice cover in 34 years.

We wondered if we might break that record, and we wondered what this will mean for the Great Lakes once spring finally gets here and that ice melts.

Alan Steinman, director of theAnnis Water ResourcesInstitute at Grand Valley State University joined us today.