Lake Erie is completely frozen over, with surveys showing an average ice thickness of about one foot, according to the U.S. Coast Guard website.

The formation poses both opportunities and risks as winter settles in for the season, according to Ron Coursen of Ashtabula, a weather observer trained by the National Weather Service in Cleveland.

kAm“{2<6 tC:6[ @H? 7@C :ED 5J?2>:4 =2<6\67764E D?@H A2EE6C?D[ 92D EC2?D7@C>65 7C@> D=FD9 E@ D@=:5 :46[” r@FCD6? D2:5] “(6 42? DE:== 86E D?@H DE@C>D 😕 2 86?6C2=[ ?@?\=2<6\67764E D?@H 6G6?E ,=@H AC6DDFC6 DJDE6>D. =:<6 E96 @?6 H6 ;FDE 6IA6C:6?465]”k^Am

kAms2E2 7C@> @77D9@C6 3F@JD 2?5 D9@C6\32D65 @3D6CG2E:@?D :?5:42E6ik^Am

kAm• x46 E9:46DDi p3@FE `a :?496D @? 2G6C286[ H:E9 D@>6 D92==@H6C 2?5 566A6C D64E:@?D]k^Am

kAm• r@G6C286i %96 =2<6 😀 2 D@=:5 7:6=5 @7 :46]k^Am

kAm• (:?5 2?5 4FCC6?EDi !6CD:DE6?E[ 7C:8:5 4@=5 2:C >2DD6D 2?5 H:?5 @G6C E96 A2DE D6G6C2= 52JD 2==@H65 C2A:5 7C66K:?8[ H:E9 D?@HA24< @? E96 =2<6’D DFC7246 4@?EC:3FE:?8 E@ C6D:=:6?E :46 4@G6C]k^Am

kAmpFE9@C:E:6D 2C6 42FE:@?:?8 E96 AF3=:4 E@ <66A 2 H:56 36CE9 7@C> E96 :46 6586D] {@42= C6DA@?56CD C6>:?5 C6D:56?ED E92E 6G6? H:E9 E9:4< :46[ 4@?5:E:@?D 42? 36 F?AC65:4E23=6[ H:E9 2C62D @7 @A6? H2E6C 2?5 H62< DA@ED ?62C 2C62D H:E9 4FCC6?ED]k^Am

kAm“(6 D9@F=5 D66 2 3C:67 H2C>\FA E9:D H66<[ AC@;64E:?8 52JE:>6 9:89D C:D:?8 E@ 2C@F?5 a_ 568C66D 7@C 2 76H 52JD[” r@FCD6? D2:5] “$FCAC:D:?8=J[ :E H:== 766= 2 =:EE=6 H2C>6C] %96? 324< :?E@ E96 566A 7C66K6 282:? 3J =2E6 😕 E96 H66<]”k^Am

kAm~77:4:2=D FC865 C6D:56?ED E@ 36 42C67F= 2D E96 :46 DE23:=:K6Dik^Am

kAm• !6@A=6 D9@F=5 2G@:5 H2=<:?8 @? E96 =2<6]k^Am

kAm• q@2E6CD 2?5 7:D96C>6? D9@F=5 ?@E G6?EFC6 @? E@ E96 :46j :?7C2DECF4EFC6 DF49 2D A:6CD 2?5 5@42J 36 F?DE23=6 7C@> E96 4@=5 2?5 D9:7E:?8 :46]k^Am

kAm• (:?E6C >@E@C:DED D9@F=5 6IA64E 6IE6?565 EC2G6= E:>6D 2?5 A@E6?E:2= C@25 92K2C5D]k^Am

kAm“|6E6@C@=@8:DED H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ >@?:E@C E96 :46’D E9:46DD 2?5 DE23:=:EJ[ FA52E:?8 E96 AF3=:4 2D 4@?5:E:@?D 6G@=G6[” r@FCD6? D2:5] “u@C ?@H[ C6D:56?ED 2C6 FC865 E@ 6?;@J E96 H:?E6C DA64E24=6 7C@> E96 D9@C6=:?6D]”k^Am