Will the Polar Vortex that has brought "generational" cold temperatures to the upper Midwest freeze enough ice that will allow one or more wolves to cross from Ontario to Isle Royale so as to "gene"invigorate the remaining 8 Wolves that are not currently reproducing pups?.................Satellite maps show northern Lake Superior socked in with ice.............. On Isle Royale, as late as Thursday, wolf researcher Rolf Peterson of Michigan Tech said by email that he could still see gaps in the ice and it was premature to say a bridge had formed.............. Biologists hope that will happen — the last time ice fully formed was 2008.............. The last time a wolf migrated across the ice was 1997.

: Click the following to access the sent link: Great Lakes have most ice in decades thanks to bitter winter* Great Lakes  have most  ice in decades  thanks to  bitter winter By Lee Bergquist of the Journal Sentinel Jan. 24, 2014 EMAIL   PRINT   (97) COMMENTS Click image to enlarge. Great Lakes Coverage Since 2003, reporter Dan Egan has been reporting on threats facing the lakes. His groundbreaking work has shown the damage caused by invasive species and has laid out the bold steps that could be taken to restore and protect the world’s largest freshwater system. Go to section This winter's frigid temperatures have produced  the largest  amount of ice  cover on the  Great Lakes in at least 25  years. Nearly 60%  of the lakes are now under  a cover of ice,  according to the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in  Ann Arbor, Mich. The ice cover could help lake  levels this summer, but  that is far from certain.  And biologists  are keeping a  close eye on northern Lake Superior in the hope that  an ice bridge will link Ontario  to Isle Royale. The island is the home  to a  struggling gray wolf population  in desperate need of new  genetic stock — and more wolves.  57% of Lake  Superior is covered with ice.  As the deepest of the Great  Lakes, Leshkevich s aid, Lake Superior takes more sustained cold air to freeze, and because it produces considerable wave action from prevailing westerly winds, ice is slower to form. Researcher Jay Austin of  the University of Minnesota- Duluth says the ice "acts like  a giant piece of plastic" over  the lake. That means water can't evaporate as readily  from sunlight. On Isle Royale, as late as Thursday, wolf researcher  Rolf Peterson of Michigan  Tech said by email that he could still see gaps in the  ice and it was premature to say a bridge had formed. Biologists hope that  will happen — the last  time was 2008. If ice  from Ontario stretches  to the island, it could  mean the introduction  of new wolves, which  could help boost the  population and diversify  the gene pool. The last time a wolf migrated  across the ice was 1997. The wolf population on the island dropped from 16 in 2011 to eight in 2013. In their first 2014 post from  the island on Jan. 12, researchers from Michigan  Tech tracking the wolf and moose population on the island wrote: "If climate projections are accurate, only one or two more ice bridges are likely  before the lake is expected  to be perpetually free of any significant ice formation  (by 2040.) "Ice bridges are important  because they represent the possibility that a wolf can migrate from Canada and infuse the population with  new genetic material —  this appears vital for the  population's vitality." Read more from Journal Sentinel: http://www.jsonline.com/weather/headlines/great-lakes-have-most-ice-in-decades-thanks-to-bitter-winter-b99191344z1-241903831.html#ixzz2rbOL6pnE  Follow us: @JournalSentinel on Twitter