[RichP]

I saw lots of people taking selfies out on the ice on Green Lake in Seattle the other day right next to signs warning of danger.

[kiliki]

Green Lake froze enough to support a dumpster. http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/many-people-and-a-dumpster-venture-out-on-historically-treacherous-green-lake-ice/

[Schroder]

[treeswarper]

The people who snowmobile out to their fishing spots on Lake Superior carry two big spikes on them for just in case. I think some of da regular ice fishing folks also do dat...yooou knoooww.

[Eric Hansen]

Yes, carry the spikes or at least screwdrivers. People who have gone through the ice will tell you how hard it is to claw your way back up onto the ice without something to grab the ice with. I'm in Wisconsin and here we often ski into wilderness areas on lake ice. Some thoughtfulness makes it reasonable, even elegant. But yes, we have our foolish ones too. Thru the ice deaths or near misses are regularly in the news. Ice fishing often gets hot at the end of the ice season and a lot of fishermen get in trouble then. Nuance on ice safety is somewhat similar to avalanche, snow mindfulness. Know the history of the formation of the ice - check with the locals. If heavy snow (insulating) arrives before the ice thickens it can lead to a season long weak layer of ice. Ask about underwater springs, currents, and problem areas. Narrows typically have currents. North shorelines are solar south slopes, often weakest ice and melting out earliest. South shore ice is often strongest, somewhat shaded by shore, trees. Inlets and outlets are suspect (moving current nearby). Not at all unusual for water to seep up thru cracks in the ice creating wet snow (typically grey color). I'm pretty skeptical on ice thickness uniformity. There's a lot of mini-climate things happening out there.

[Pyrites]

I don't carry spikes, but I don't go out on the old 2" safe for thee, 3" safe for me. I like 8-10. 6 ok if transition from shore to ice good. I assume I'm not the only one with an ice auger. Brace & bit type, not gasoline powered. Best

[Eric Hansen]

Pyrites, I don't go out on 2 or 3" thick ice. No thanks.

[mike]

One thing to consider when the ice lingers during a cold snap, e.g. NE'r. Around here some ponds are reservoirs and are drawn down. So that means that the center settles and it becomes an uphill struggle to get out. Doesn't take much of a slope to make things difficult.

[treeswarper]

Even dis has a pressure crack to cross. Dey have 27 inches of ice to hold dem up as of now, eh. http://www.travelwisconsin.com/events/cross-country-skiing-snowshoeing/book-across-the-bay-38999

[Malachai Constant]

In Ontario and Quebec ice fishing and closing rivers for skating is common. There the ice is required to be about 2' thick. This is usually achieved by drilling ice to allow bather from beneath to be brought to the surface to freeze each day. There is a science of ice check the capital commission of Canada website to check on it. The surface of the ground is seldom cooler than 0C unless you are in permafrost regions. That is why S octaves and igloos work. Ice insulates the deep water from low air temps, that is why you can ice fish. It is seldom in the western Washington that lakes are safe, a spring can easily make a thin spot.

[LizzyRN]

Big Lake in Mount Vernon is also frozen. Lots of people were out there including someone driving a car. Locals are taking their drones to the sky over the lake. No thanks.

[Pyrites]

I guess I should have mentioned I've never ice fished western WA. Eastside, n. Idaho, B.C. Best.

[Eric Hansen]

Saw this on Weather Channel this morning https://weather.com/news/trending/video/man-falls-through-ice-on-purpose The water seems shallow, aiding his recovery. He seems to be touching bottom as he pushes to get himself up onto the ice shelf. And shore is near. If you've ever had your hands in ice water you know that you don't have a lot of time before they become useless. Maybe 5 minutes.

[Just_Some_Hiker]

[Kim Brown]

You never know when that ice is going to crack. My brother, sisters, cousins and I spent an evening ice skating on a lake in Minne-f###'-sota one winter. Our uncle shoveled off a bunch of snow so us kids could skate. Needless to say , but I will anyway - that Minnesota ice was thick. While we skated that evening, we heard a big CRACK that echoed around us. The parents made us get off the ice. The next morning when we all looked out the window, we saw a gigantic crack across the lake - it ran right next to the dock and the area we were skating. If a Minnesota lake in winter freaked me out, I damn sure wouldn't trust ice on a lake in the lowlands in Washington. But that's just me. Knock yourself out if ya wanta dance on it.