How to Tell if Ponds Are Safe to Skate On

Never skate at night at a pond, and always skate with someone else.

Ice-covered ponds and lakes can be treacherous. Every winter, Minnesota alone reports up to 12 people a year die from falling through ice to the waters below. The attractiveness of skating in a wide open area, with nature providing the rink, continues to draw people to the outdoors and potential danger. Knowing how to judge the safety of the ice can help minimize the risk.

Things You'll Need

• Drill with at least a 9-inch-long bit
• Measuring rod marked from 1 to 12 inches

Instructions

1. Wait at least seven days in a row of weather below 25 degrees Fahrenheit before considering going to a pond. Windy days make for poor ice conditions, so the seven days of low temperatures is not a guarantee of safe ice.

2. Drill through the ice every 10 feet at various places around the pond to measure the thickness with the rod. Start at the edge where you enter the pond and carefully work toward the center and then along the edges to the other side. Look for ice that is clear and chips. Ice that is either dark or cloudy and flakes instead of chips is dangerous, regardless of the thickness.

3. Avoid ponds where the ice is not at least 6 inches deep across the length and width of the pond, and do not consider skating there. Two ponds, even next door to each other, can have different ice thicknesses, so each one must be measured separately.

4. Walk the entire circumference of the pond and note any intake or outflow pipes. The ice will be much thinner in those areas and must be avoided.

5. One warm, sunny or windy day can quickly change the circumstances. Redrill and retest the ice if the temperature has risen above 32 degrees at any time or if there has been several days of bright sun or wind.

Tips & Warnings

• Stay away from ice where water vapor is present above the surface. This visibly shows that the ice is in the process of melting.

• Never skate on snow-covered ice unless it also has been measured for thickness.

• It takes longer for ice in the middle of a pond to freeze, especially if it is a deep pond. Never assume that because the edges are safe, the middle area is safe.

References

• Minnesota Department of Natual Resources: Minnesota Ice-Related Fatalities 1976-2010
• Rhode Island State Parks: Ice Safety Guide; 2009
• Banff National Park of Canada: Skating on Ponds, Lakes and Rivers