Abstract: Models for predicting ice formation and/or accumulation on wind turbine blades and methods of their use in optimizing performance of wind turbines in the presence of adverse local weather conditions are disclosed. In certain embodiments, the predictive models include historical data of local meteorological conditions including, inter alia, wind speed, temperature, and relative humidity conditions and are useful, inter alia, for preemptively managing performance of wind turbines operation/shutdown cycles in response to a future predicted blade icing event based on a model of the present invention.