Remembering a few numbers can keep you safe on the lake ice this winter:
![]() |
2 inches of ice or less | Thin Ice! Danger! |
| 4 inches of ice | One person with gear (200 pounds) | |
| 5 inches of ice | One snowmobile (800 pounds) | |
| 7 inches of ice | Group of people (1,500 pounds) | |
| 8- 12 inches of ice | One car (2,000 pounds) | |
| 12-15 inches of ice | Medium Truck |
Go
out with a buddy and keep a good distance apart as you walk out. If one of
you goes in the other can call for help.
The companion can also attempt a rescue if one of you are carrying
rope or other survival gear.
Wear
a life jacket if walking on the ice. Life vests or float coats provide
excellent flotation and protection from hypothermia. Never wear a life
jacket if you are traveling in an enclosed vehicle, however.
Carry
a pair of homemade ice picks with wooden handles with a few yards of strong
cord to pull yourself up and onto the ice if you do fall in.
Avoid
driving on the ice whenever possible. In the 117 ice fatalities occurring in
Minnesota since 1976, 68 percent involved a vehicle.
Move
your car frequently. Parking in one place for a long period weakens ice.
Don’t park near cracks, and watch out for pressure ridges or ice heaves.
Don’t drive across ice at night or when it is snowing. Reduced visibility
increases your chances for driving into an open or weak ice area.