LACONIA, N.H. (AP) – In a few months, Lakes Region residents cheered by the arrival of spring will take part in the annual ritual of predicting “ice out” on the state’s largest lake. But right now, all the attention is on when it will freeze over.

Discussion concerning when the lake will finally freeze over has members of www.winnipesaukee.com posting hundreds of communications during the unusually warm winter as they pray for cold and monitor various points along Lake Winnipesaukee with webcams.

“People want to shift gears into these winter activities and they are waiting for the ice to be thick enough,” said Don Zimmer, the site’s webmaster.

Zimmer, 52, of Medfield, Mass., founded the website 10 years ago.

Zimmer said he is happy that the attention on his site has turned away from a proposal to set boat speed limits that had two polarized groups at war on a forum page for community commentary and not for the advancement of particular agendas.

Repeated thaws have resulted in the lake, which was close to freezing solid last month, losing its ice cover repeatedly, jeopardizing forthcoming winter events such as the Great Rotary Fishing Derby scheduled for the second weekend of February.

“A lot of these Winterfest-type activities depend on it,” Zimmer said.

Zimmer said a forum member has developed a linked site www.rattlesnakecam.com/icein.htm dedicated to the “ice-in,” featuring webcams stationed around the lake.

“Everybody is waiting for the lake to freeze. This is a little unique. People are always looking for the status, but this year I think there has been more interest than ever. It’s become quite a phenomenon,” said Zimmer.