Driving On Lakes Perilous As Ice Thins
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - Our unseasonable March warmth is a cause for many Minnesotans to revel, but a serious cause for concern for the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office when it comes to ice safety.
"The temperatures in the 50s and 60s, that sun beating down on the ice, wind when it comes out there -- all seriously affect the thickness of the ice," Lt. Kent Vnuk said.
In Hennepin County alone this season, ten vehicles have broken through and four people have fallen through the ice. Our late winter warmth means even more vigilance is required.
"When you're talking about ice, you want to worry more about temperature than you do about the time of the year," Vnuk said.
Fishermen at Lake Minnetonka were concerned Wednesday about the recent temperatures running 15 to 20 degrees above average.
"It's going to go out fast if it keeps up like this," Brian Nygaard said. "It'll be no driving soon."
But the sheriff's office strongly advises no driving on the ice now. It can take as little as 45 seconds for a vehicle break through the ice and sink to the lake bottom.
Another ice fisherman named Steve said life was too short to drive out on the ice in this weather.
"Last time I'll go out is when the sheriff says stop," he said. "They said stop three days ago. It's still 27 inches of ice out there --I'm just not driving on it."
With spring break just around the corner, Vnuk urges parents educate their children on how dangerous the ice can be.
