A walk on the wild side

February 20, 2008 8:30 AM

How do I know if my frozen lake is solid enough to walk on?

I'd love to watch tonight's lunar eclipse out on Lake Calhoun tonight. It being the middle of February, I'm pretty sure the ice is OK; except for a warm spell last weekend, it's been well below the average temperature for most of the last two weeks. But is there a rule of thumb I could go by, or (even better) an official ice status tracker for MN lakes I could refer to?

posted by grrarrgh00 to science & nature (12 comments total)

Previously.
posted by smitt at 8:33 AM on February 20, 2008

I think you should be fine.

From the MN DNR

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/index.html
posted by tickettrader at 8:35 AM on February 20, 2008

My rule of thumb has always been to let someone heavier than me walk on it first.
posted by foodgeek at 8:41 AM on February 20, 2008 [3 favorites]

We had a lake growing up that would freeze over in the winter. My dad would always take a chisel and hammer down and break through the ice to determine how thick it was. First at the edge, then in the middle. I think you want at least 2-3" thickness.
posted by lohmannn at 8:44 AM on February 20, 2008

"Heavier" isn't a good rule of thumb, foodgeek. A polar bear can walk on ice that you might fall through. You want big feet. And more feet.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 9:03 AM on February 20, 2008

Thanks. Somehow I missed that earlier thread, even though I Google-searched AskMeFi.
posted by grrarrgh00 at 9:24 AM on February 20, 2008

I really thought it'd be easier to find an online source for a thumbs up/thumbs down for often visited lakes like calhoun. Guess not. Anyhow, I'd be surprised if it's not fine. It's been awfully cold lately. And sunday was the first day in how long that it got (a mere 2 degrees) above freezing. It's mostly stayed below 20 for that matter. And by the way, any mefites interested in a meetup? I definitely want to watch at least parts of the eclipse. Calhoun sounds like a great place. I might post to talk.
posted by gauchodaspampas at 9:45 AM on February 20, 2008

although we'd have to be careful to not all stand in the same spot, and all. but still.
posted by gauchodaspampas at 9:49 AM on February 20, 2008

You could try calling the park and recreation board. I suspect you'll find that there is ice fishing going on on the chain of lakes - according to this article MN is seeing some of the best ice conditions for fishing in years.

I'd take a guess that you'll be hard pressed to find an official source saying "the ice is safe." Because the bottom line is that it is never totally safe. But given the serious as fuck cold spell we've been in, I'd be about as confident as I'd ever be, meaning, give those ice safety tips from the DNR page a good read and avoid being out there completely alone.
posted by nanojath at 9:51 AM on February 20, 2008

I asked this of some ice fishermen on our local lake about a month ago. Once we got past the jokes about sending George out first, etc. the answer was that if they could feel it flexing under their weight, they went back to shore.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 11:04 AM on February 20, 2008

Calhoun is definitely safe. There were tons of people out skiing on it this past weekend as I drove by on my way to Lake of the Isles for skating (that "warm" spell you're talking about barely peaked above freezing!). You should be worried about the air tonight, not the water. They don't clear Calhoun, so follow the ski tracks or bring some good boots. There's a big section of Lake of the Isles that should be clear, unless it has snowed since Monday and I've forgotten. It might be better, depending on how high and where the moon is tonight. Take Hennepin south from I94, take a right on 25th, and drive until you hit the lake. The cleared-off rink should be right in front of you.
posted by dsword at 1:59 PM on February 20, 2008

Oh, wow. I realize this is too late, as the eclipse is already over, but...

With the weather we've been having there's nothing to worry about. It's -9 right now! It's been like this (mostly) for the last few weeks. You could drive a car out there right now without any problems.
posted by Shiva88 at 9:30 PM on February 20, 2008