Weather Tidbits: Ice Thickness Safety

This edition of weather tidbits will be discussing guidelines for treading on ice depending on its thickness. Frozen bodies of water like lakes can be deadly if the ice cannot support a certain weight. Before doing so for activities such as ice fishing and snowmobiling on the ice, it’s important to check with local officials on the thickness and condition of the ice. If you do decide to venture out on the ice, there are a few guidelines to keep in mind. If the ice thickness is 2″ or less, stay off the ice. If the ice thickness is 4″ or greater, you can ice fish, ice skate, and walk on the ice. If the ice thickness is at least 5-6″, you can use snowmobiles and ATV’s on it. The ice thickness must be at least 8 to 12″ to drive cars or small pickup trucks on it. For medium sized trucks, the ice thickness must be at least 12 to 15″.