Snow Skills

Now that it is getting colder in most parts of North America more and more lakes and ponds are freezing providing more opportunities for cross country skiing, ice skating, and snowshoeing. But when is the ice safe?

Folklore suggests that multiplying the total inches of ice by 200 gives you the number of pounds that the ice can support. I don’t buy it!Two inches of ice should be present before you consider walking on it. But, not all ice is created equally!

A layer of snow can help or hinder the strength of ice. Remember,s now is a natural insulator so if the ice is weak, a layer of snow on top will keep it weak; a blanket of snow on top of strong ice will help keep it strong.

Two other factors are the age of the ice and winds. Older ice isn’t as strong as fresh ice. (Similar to how ice cubes that have been sitting in your freezer for long periods of time are not very clear anymore and have lots of small cracks in them while newly made ice cubes are practically clear.) A light breeze can facilitate ice development while strong breezes can deteriorate ice.

Finally, the speed the water is moving under the ice is critical. Fast moving water such as lake areas near an inlet our outlet significantly reduce ice development; ice over calm water builds the fastest.