Beware thin ice until cold weather

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is warning residents that ice is still in the early stages of forming on waterways across Minnesota. It’s not safe to be out on it; you run the very real risk of falling through or being caught on a sheet that separates from shore.

Ice thickness is highly variable and subject to the whims of Mother Nature. Emergency responders already have responded to incidents where anglers have fallen through thin ice or been stranded on ice sheets that broke off from the shoreline due to heavy wind.

It will take another several consecutive days of below-freezing temperatures before enough solid ice has formed to support foot traffic, and even longer before all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles should be on the ice. Once the ice has had more time to form, it’s up to you to make sure it’s thick enough.

Find ice safety guidelines and minimum ice thickness guidelines at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/.