MINNEAPOLIS — Nothing about this year has been normal, so I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that the ice this winter has followed this trend.
The DNR says the ice on lakes and other water bodies is very inconsistent this year, and the warm weather is to blame.
“This year hasn’t been a typical Minnesota winter,” DNR Conservation Officer Michael Lerchen says.
In one spot on the lake the ice might be 13 to 14 inches thick, but just a hundred yards away, on that very same lake, Lerchen says the ice could be less than three inches thick.
“We haven’t had that hard freeze this winter with several days of below zero temperatures,” Lerchen explains.
“We’ve been seeing it freeze, and then warm up and then we’ll have another freeze and that will create pockets of air in the ice that will make it weaker.”
The DNR says this inferior ice can only hold half as much weight as normal winter ice.
That’s why the agency is asking winter enthusiasts to be extra cautious this season.
James Trantina with Collins Brothers Towing in St. Cloud, agrees, it’s a very different winter this year.
“We’ve pulled out plenty of side-by-sides, a couple of pickups and a couple of fish houses,” Trantina says.
So far this winter the company has been involved in 23 ice rescues and recoveries.
Trantina says it’s a lot more than they typically see this far into the season.
However, he says it’s not just the ice that’s to blame.
“With COVID and everything going on, people are looking for something to do with family and friends. So they bought their four wheelers, their side by sides, their fish houses."
And a lot of them are first timers, or have only been out a handful of times.
Lerchen says that inexperience can get you into trouble if you aren't careful.
"Yes, there is a good amount of ice, but I feel like you still need that caution about you and still check it," Lerchen said.
According to the DNR, two people have died this winter already after falling through the ice.
The agency says ice is typically safe to walk on when it’s at least four inches thick, but they stress that no ice is ever 100% safe.
They say this ice issue will be an even bigger problem when things start to warm up in March or early April.
The ice will likely melt faster than it usually does, and the melt may be more inconsistent as well.
They say it's definitely something to watch out for when things start to warm up later this spring.
For more ice safety tips click here.
