Is it safe to cross a frozen lake?

Ice is not considered safe to walk on until it is at least four inches thick. At that thickness, it is suitable for ice fishing, cross country skiing, and walking, and can support about 200 pounds. At five inches, it should be enough to hold a single snowmobile or ATV or about 800 pounds.



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Wear skis or snowshoes to help distribute your weight over the ice. In a group, keep your distance from others (about 50 feet). That way, if someone falls in, others are less likely to go under, too.

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Ice is seldom the same thickness over a single body of water; it can be two feet thick in one place and one inch thick a few yards away.

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Health risks Winter swimming can be dangerous to people who are not used to swimming in very cold water. After immersion in cold water the cold shock response will occur, causing an uncontrollable gasp for air. This is followed by hyperventilation, a longer period of more rapid breathing.

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Ice may form quickly when temperatures tumble, but it takes more time than you might think for ice to reach the four-inch thickness that experts recommend. On average, it takes four days of below freezing temperatures to form ice that is safe. Also, this guideline is for ponds and lakes.

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Lake ice freezes first at the surface starting at the edges or shoreline for two reasons. Water near the shore is typically shallower and contains less heat than deeper water so it can reach the freezing point faster than deeper water.

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Great Lakes that have completely frozen include Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario. Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake to have never frozen entirely.

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Just below the ice there is always a layer of colder water. The closer to freezing temperature, the closer to the ice. Once you get deep enough to where it gets to 4 C, then it will be that temperature all the way to the bottom.

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According to the National Center for Cold Water Safety, water temperatures below 70 degrees Fahrenheit should be treated with caution. Water temperatures between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit makes it difficult to control your breathing, and anything lower than 40 degrees is painfully cold.

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A 24 hour, 50 degree thaw with winds in the 20-30 mph range can melt a couple inches or more of ice. Holes of several types and sizes are also common after a windy thaw. Heavy rain over 24 hours with only moderate wind will result in about an inch of ice loss. Most of that is from the warm air.

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AIce floats on a lake's surface until it is melted. Although it sometimes floats low in the water, it does not sink to the bottom, as some mistakenly believe. Water is heaviest at 39 degrees, lighter at higher or lower temperatures.

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