By Nicole Buchmann of WLUC Fox TV 6 - February 11, 2019

This year’s winter temperatures are expanding ice coverage over Lake Superior.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Marquette, 70 percent of the lake is covered as of Monday.

This large amount is slightly more than normal at this point in the season. Weather service meteorologists say January's and February's bitter temps sped up the ice coverage. The max ice coverage is expected for the end of the month or beginning of March.

The ice over Lake Superior isn’t thick and is considered flow ice that moves around under the ice.

The NWS is advising caution for on lookers to admire the ice from a distance.

"You see the shelf ice close to the shoreline, but you have to remember that there is always moving ice underneath them and you have to be careful because if you do fall in there is no way to get out," warned Matt Zika, a National Weather Service Meteorologist.

Zika added that overall, the Great Lake system is 57 percent covered with ice and he expects Lake Superior’s ice will hang on until spring.