Here's how to safely avoid thin ice this winter (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep ice from getting thinner? ›

Stay off the ice at night, especially during a snowfall or foggy conditions. If that's unavoidable, be extremely cautious and drive slowly since holes can open up quickly. Roll a window down and unlock doors or keep a door slightly ajar to speed escape. Don't wear a life vest while riding inside a vehicle.

If it's clear and blue, it's likely safe. Opaque white ice is isn't quite as strong, while grey or black indicates that there's water present; the ice may be melting or have air pockets. Keep in mind that even if it is the ideal crystal blue, you'll still want to stay off the ice if it's less than 15 centimetres thick.

Thinning of the ice layer is caused by heat transfer and by melting at the top or bottom surface (or both). Deterioration, sometimes called rotting or candling because of the similarity of deteriorating ice crystals to an assembly of closely packed candles, is caused by the absorption of solar radiation.

2 inches thick or less should be avoided completely. 4 inches or more is considered safe for ice fishing or other activities on foot. 5 inches is recommended for snowmobiles or ATVs. 8 to 12 inches is necessary for a small car.

One of the best ways to keep your ice colder for longer is by chilling your cooler before you place the fresh ice in it. You can do so by adding ice a couple of hours prior or even the day before and allowing the cooler to chill as much as possible.

Kick your feet as hard as you can, and pull yourself up quickly with your forearms. Do not put all your weight on your elbows. If the edge breaks off, move forward to the next solid edge and try again. Crawl up onto the ice, and then crawl or roll (but don't stand—you may break through again) until you're on solid ice.

Greater than 20 minutes of icing can cause reactive vasodilation, or widening, of the vessels as the body tries to make sure the tissues get the blood supply they need. Studies have also shown 30 to 40 minutes in between icing sessions are needed to counter this reaction.

According to the Department of Natural Resources, 12-15 inches of solid ice is needed to safely drive a truck onto a lake or pond. 8-12 inches is needed for normal passenger vehicles.

Thus, ice is most slippery when temperatures are near freezing (26-32F) and is much less slippery when temperatures reach the single digits and below.

Why should you crawl on thin ice? ›

The higher pressure exerted by walking or skating on the surface of the frozen pond can cause cracks or even break the thin surface of the ice. Hence, it is advisable to roll or belly crawl on a thin frozen pond.

Ice begins to be "safe" at around 4 - 6 inches thickness. Do not even walk on ice 3" or less in thickness. However, even at a 9" - 10" thickness, there may be unforeseen hazards such as a flowing current underneath that is ceaselessly weakening the underside of the ice.

As a general rule of thumb, ice is safe to walk on when there is 4 inches or more of clear ice. It is important to understand that different types of ice varying in their strength. Clear blue or black ice is the strongest. This ice is formed from the lake water freezing.

Falling through ice can induce a cold shock response, where you gasp as you fall and accidentally inhale water. The panic can also cause you to hyperventilate, which can lead to unconsciousness. In both instances, drowning is a real possibility and can happen within minutes.

However, if you're using a cooler with less air space, like a Pelican Cooler with tightly packed ice, then salt can help to make the ice last longer. The science behind this has to do with the way that salt lowers the freezing point of water. When you add salt to ice, it causes the ice to melt.

Water freezes at a lower temperature when salty, so putting salt on ice will make the ice cubes melt faster, liberating some really cold water drops on the bottle surface, faster. It is one thing to know this, another to use it in your ice bucket!

Because of its chemical make-up, aluminum transfers heat better than both paper and cloth, so heat from the room reaches the cube more quickly. Also, paper and cloth have air pockets that trap heat and help keep it away from the cubes. The cubes stay frozen longer.

Styrofoam is the best insulator for preventing ice from melting.

Because baking soda is a kind of salt, it can lower the freezing point for ice, accelerating the melting process. Plus, it's less alkaline than calcium chloride, the salt commonly used for melting ice, which can corrode surfaces like bricks or concrete.

Does vinegar help melt ice? ›

The acetic acid in vinegar is a chemical compound that lowers ice's melting point, but it doesn't melt ice quite as well as rock salt and some of the above alternatives. Like isopropyl alcohol, vinegar can technically be used on its own, but it provides better results in a mixture of equal parts vinegar and hot water.

Bend your knees

If you know you are going to fall, the best thing you can do is get closer to the ground. Think about it — falling from six feet off the ground will be more painful than falling from two feet off the ground. So bend your knees. It'll instantly reduce the distance of your fall.

Seek post-fall medical attention

After someone falls on ice, it's a good idea to receive medical attention from a doctor. Even if it feels like the body is ok, it's possible to experience micro-fractions, which can lead to long-term injury and chronic pain. Be sure to seek a medical examination after a serious fall.

Keeping ice on an injury for too long — more than 20 minutes — can cause tissue damage and injure areas of poor circulation.

Over-icing can lead to stiffness and poor circulation. Allow 30 to 40 minutes between each time you ice your injury. Use the RICE method for home treatments on injured joints.

Apply an ice or cold pack to the injured or sore area at least 3 times a day for as long as you have pain, swelling, and inflammation. For the first 72 hours, ice for 10 minutes, once an hour.

Lightweight: Lighter cars are more likely to slip and slide on snowy roads than heavier vehicles. Low ground clearance: It's easy to damage the undercarriage of vehicles with low ground clearance when driving in wintery weather. They're also prone to get stuck in the snow, potentially leaving you stranded.

It's quite simple, if you can get into the car. Start the engine and turn on the heating and defrosting system. Set it on highest heat and low speed. Once the defroster starts to melt the ice you should be able to at least slide a big chunk of the ice off the car.

All other things being equal, a heavier vehicle will have more traction than a lighter vehicle. They also tend to have longer wheelbases (the distance between the center of the front and rear wheels) than passenger cars.

What material does not slip on ice? ›

Non-slip rubber typically makes the best soles for snow and ice. Soles with larger treads offer plenty of grip. They'll help you avoid slipping when you're walking in wintry conditions, as well as keeping your feet waterproof. Specialised snow boots or hiking boots are a good option.

Sand basics

One alternative to salt for protection from slippery ice is sand. While it does not melt the ice, sand is an abrasive material that increases traction between ice and tires or shoes.

Minimum ice thickness should be:

15 cm for walking or skating alone. 20 cm for skating parties or games.

Spreading your feet out slightly while walking on ice increases your center of gravity. ❅ Bend slightly and walk flat-footed with your center of gravity directly over the feet as much as possible. ❅ Extend your arms out to your sides to maintain balance. ❅ Keep your hands out of your pockets.

Ice that is colored light gray to dark black is unsafe and you should avoid this type of ice as it may not hold a load. Mottled and slushy or what some people refer to as “rotten” ice – because of its texture. This ice is thawing and slushy and may look good at the top but is compromised through the ice layer.

A change in water level causes ice sheet to move from where it's anchored to shore. This results in a significant amount of wet cracks, which can be dangerous and form pressure ridges due to processes described above.

Look for any cracks, breaks, holes, weak spots or abnormal surfaces such as pressure ridges caused by currents- If you see any of these, do not go onto the ice.

Less than 4 inches: Stay off the ice. 4 inches: Walking, ice fishing, ice skating, or other activities on foot are permitted. 5 to 7 inches: Snowmobiling or riding ATVs are safe. 8 to 12 inches: Driving a car or small pickup is allowed.

How much ice does it take to cause problems? ›

One-quarter-inch: Dangerous

A quarter-inch of ice can quickly turn into a big problem for many people, causing tree branches and powerlines to become weighed down, and causing possible isolated power outages.

Their packaged ice in any form – bag of ice cubes or block Ice – is always made from filtered water and produced in a ​food grade environment (untouched by human hands) for a safe and sanitary food product for the consumers.

Holding dry ice in your bare hands is not recommended and will likely result in severe frostbite.

If you aren't sure, stay on shore. 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.

First, flop your arms onto the ice. Stab ice claws, trekking pole tips, or a pocket knife blade into the surface (keep tools in hand when crossing), kick hard, and haul yourself out.

After you are out of the cold water, move to a warm place. Remove any wet clothing and dry off. Warm up slowly by wrapping yourself in blankets or by putting on dry clothing. Drink warm liquids.

The reflective surface of aluminum foil is scientifically proven to keep ice from melting longer than other materials. Before you put the ice for the party in the cooler or bucket, place one layer of aluminum foil in the container.

Good insulators are materials that do not conduct or transfer energy well and keep your ice from melting. Things like polystyrene, bubble wrap and cotton wool are good insulators.

When ice melts, water and ice coexist. Because salt particles make it harder for water particles to freeze back onto the ice, the ice that is in contact with dissolved salt melts faster.

How to keep an ice cube from melting for 24 hours without a freezer? ›

Simply procure a plastic container, cover it fully with aluminium foil (shiny side facing outwards) and then insulate the inside of the box with foam to keep the temperature from seeping out of the container. The thick material will insulate the box, preventing the coldness of the ice from seeping out.

The acetic acid in vinegar is a chemical compound that lowers ice's melting point, but it doesn't melt ice quite as well as rock salt and some of the above alternatives. Like isopropyl alcohol, vinegar can technically be used on its own, but it provides better results in a mixture of equal parts vinegar and hot water.

Styrofoam is the best insulator for preventing ice from melting.

We've blogged about a bubble wrap “stained glass window” before, but bubble wrap also works as a great insulator when it's cold. See how to use leftover packaging to decrease your heating bill, after the jump…

We can Verify: You can absolutely use table salt instead of specifically-branded ice melt salt. Table salt, rock salt, and salt made for ice are the same.

The layers in your cooler will create zones that go from really cold down at the bottom to chilled up at the top. Start your layers with block ice down at the bottom of your cooler. Then add any frozen goods and the goods you need to keep very cold, like raw meat.

Rock salt is meant to be put down before snow falls, and keeps it from sticking to the surface, says Nichols. "But most people shovel, get it clear, then put down the salt. If you salt and then get snow on top it can turn to mush underneath and then it gets hard to shovel."

When added to ice, salt first dissolves in the film of liquid water that is always present on the surface, thereby lowering its freezing point below the ices temperature. Ice in contact with salty water therefore melts, creating more liquid water, which dissolves more salt, thereby causing more ice to melt, and so on.

Does rock salt keep ice from melting? ›

Rock salt is a staple for most winter maintenance deicing programs, but at what temperature does it become ineffective? Salt will “work,” i.e. it will melt ice, all the way down to its eutectic temperature of -6 ⁰F.

For ice that you're going to be storing, I recommend either Ziplock style sealed bags or Tupperware-style containers. Those keep it sealed from sublimating and from absorbing smells.