Lake City, MN (KROC-AM News) -- The ice covering Lake Pepin is still too thick for barge traffic, but that may not be the case for long with the forecast calling for highs in the 50’s next week.

The latest round of measurements by the US Army Corps of Engineers found the thickest ice in an area south of Lake City at 17 inches. That’s only 2 inches thinner than the thickness measured during the first round of measurements on February 17th, but the survey found open water on about 6 miles of the lake north of Lake City that was previously ice covered.

The commercial shipping season on the Upper Mississippi River opened last year on March 25th.

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