Ice breaker

Photo courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard

Ice-Breaker Duty, Great Lakes
| published March 18, 2015 |

By Thursday Review staff


The harsh winter of 2014-15 provided logistical challenges to scores of states where record-breaking snowfalls were accompanied by history-making levels of ice. Cities like Boston, Portland (Maine), Providence, New York, Cincinnati and Philadelphia saw streets and roads blocked, bridges closed, and services snarled by winter’s wrath.

In this Department of Defense photo, the Coast Guard Cutter Bristol Bay pauses on Lake Erie as its crew takes a short break to survey miles of heavy ice in early March 8, 2015. The ship has been enlisted as an ice-gaged in ice-breaker as part of Operation Coal Shovel, a Coast Guard op developed to help with some of the logistical hurdles presented by the harsh winter. Coast Guard ships have been needed—in some cases continuously—to keep shipping lanes open for both commercial traffic and emergency ships and boats.

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Petty Officer Nick Gould.

Related Thursday Review articles:

Cold Enough For You?; Thursday Review staff; Thursday Review; March 3, 2015.

Big Apple & New England Will Get More Chill; Thursday Review staff; February 23, 2015.