Nearly every winter we learn about trucks or cars going through the ice on ponds where people are ice fishing. It isn't uncommon on Joe's Pond to see several cars and pickup trucks parked near ice shantys where folks are fishing. The temptation to drive out onto the ice with all your gear instead of pulling it out on a toboggan is great, especially when the ice is a foot or more thick. But it can be dangerous. The ice is not always uniformly thick. Just this week we have heard of two accidents with vehicles through the ice. One, on Willoughby Lake came over the scanner while I was working. I was relieved to hear that the occupants were out of the vehicle and ok. Here's the report: Truck Through Ice.
     A man fishing near Orwell on Lake Champlain wasn't as lucky. His truck went through the ice and he did not survive. His relatives reported him missing and his body was found yesterday. Here's the report on that: Missing Man Found .
     The state police have issued a warning to all about going onto the ice. JPA President Tom Dente sent this to me this morning.  Click to make it large enough to read.
     We have not heard of anyone going through the ice on a snow machine, but that happens, too. It's best to take extra precautions, especially if you are not very familiar with the lake or pond you are venturing onto. Ice thickness can vary with water depth and also depending on where water may be flowing into the pond from brooks or other streams. The narrows between two larger bodies of water such as we have here at Joe's Pond can be very dangerous. They are the last to freeze over and the first to break open in warm spells, so we know the ice is very thin there. The water is moving fairly swiftly through those kinds of spots and therefore it doesn't freeze as quickly or thickly.
     I'm sure all of you are anxiously awaiting my snow measurement taken this morning 😊 so here it is. I measured another six inches of light, fluffy snow. The temperature is 21 degrees, and there is still some light snow falling.  I've measured only 14 inches from this storm, but I know in nearby places there has been much more - in fact, Fred measured a strong 12 inches yesterday in the driveway when he was working with the snow blower, and I had only 8 inches on our deck. I think the wind may sweep some of the snow off because it is above ground level. It's ok - a few inches one way or the other doesn't matter that much until you have to move it. Or until it begins to melt and water goes where it shouldn't. And it all adds up to a heck of a winter this year.