Just until Sunday will do it. It's his call, but even he is hedging his bets. Several factors come into play. Mild temperatures expected today will make a difference. Combs was cheered by the fact that the open water wasn't steaming Thursday, meaning the temperature differential wasn't enough to make the water cool down further.
Wind is a big player, too.
Right now, Combs said, the ice is still so thin that wind could undo a lot of ice in a big hurry. A fist-sized rock plunked right though the glaze. Corps project manager George Wolf said he's surprised by the amount of interest in the freeze-over record. Wolf emphasizes that calling the official freeze-over isn't rocket science. It's an old tradition that started many, many years ago.