Icebreaking activities at Thunder Bay harbor is scheduled for Thursday.

According to a statement from the Canadian Coast Guard, icebreaking operations in the Thunder Bay region are set to begin this week. The Samuel Risley vessel will lead the “initial harbour breakout” on Thursday.

The purpose of this operation is to ensure the safe and efficient movement of commercial vessels in the area. As of Sunday, less than eight percent of the Great Lakes were covered by ice, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s CoastWatch program.

Meanwhile, a map of ice thickness by the U.S. National Ice Center indicates that most of the ice in the Thunder Bay harbor was between 12 to 28 inches (about 30 to 71 cm) thick as of Sunday.

Isabelle Pelchat, the Canadian Coast Guard’s superintendent of icebreaking for the Great Lakes region, said the ice coverage this year has been below average.

“It’s not all frozen like we used to see,” Pelchat said in a recent interview with CBC News. “So it’s most likely the open up of Thunder Bay would be easier this year.”

However, the lack of ice on the Great Lakes doesn’t change much when it comes to icebreaking operations.

“We remain available 24/7,” she said. “We’re continuing the monitoring and surveillance of the ice at all times.

“Our two icebreakers are on standby and available, and the crews are ready. So it’s giving us more time to do some training and familiarization for the crew.”

Pelchat said icebreaking on the Great Lakes normally begins just before the opening of the Soo Locks, which officially marks the start of the Great Lakes shipping season. This year, the opening is set for this Friday.