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<\/p>\nIn the cold months, ice can provide a lot of fun activities to get you through winter. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Enjoying the ice should come with a solid understanding of what you are playing on. No matter the wintertime activity in which you participate on the ice, the first thing to remember is that ice can never be assumed to be completely safe. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Days or weeks of cold weather could provide what looks like a solid surface, but what is under the ice may not be as clear to see.<\/p>\n
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Minimum thickness needed for these things to be safe on the ice<\/p>\n
KDKA Weather Center<\/p>\n
While Pennsylvania State Parks issues a Winter Report<\/a>\u00a0of snow and ice conditions, you still have to monitor the ice yourself, because conditions can change. \u00a0<\/p>\n First, check the report to see if the park is reporting ice that is thick enough for the activity you want to do.\u00a0 When you get to the ice, you need to first visually inspect the ice yourself because conditions can change.<\/p>\n Now that ice is not very thick<\/p>\n Getty Images<\/p>\n Look for feeder creeks and streams, and stay away from those areas. \u00a0<\/p>\n The moving water means the ice is not structurally safe, even if it looks frozen over.\u00a0 \u00a0If there are docks, trees, or anything sticking through the ice, you will want to avoid that area, too.\u00a0 Ice tends to be weak when things are sticking out of it.<\/p>\n When you see things like branches or docks sticking through the ice, it tends to mean that the patch of ice is weak.<\/p>\n Getty Images\/Ray Petelin<\/p>\n Stay away from wet spots. That means water is on the ice and could be a sign of cracks or ice too thin to support you.\u00a0 If the ice has a really dark, porous, or honeycombed appearance, that is a red flag too.<\/p>\n If an area passes your visual inspection, then make sure you have your safety supplies handy.<\/p>\n Having a stick or a pole will help you determine if you need to turn around<\/p>\n Ray Petelin<\/p>\n You will want a stick or pole to test the ice ahead of you as you walk.\u00a0 This will allow for some visual signs of thin or cracked ice to let you know if you need to turn around.\u00a0 Some awls, or handheld ice spikes, are important to have.\u00a0<\/p>\n That stick or pole can also help you if you fall through<\/p>\n Getty Images<\/p>\n If you fall through the ice, they can provide a grip to help you pull yourself out of the water.\u00a0 Knowing that ice is never considered totally safe, a floatation device and rope are very important to have as well.\u00a0 That way, you can help yourself or someone else.<\/p>\n Ice over moving water, like rivers and creeks, is never safe, even though people used to do it all the time in the olden days.\u00a0 Just because they did it doesn’t mean it is safe.<\/p>\n Remember, ice over moving water, such as rivers or creeks, may look pretty, but it does not mean it’s safe.\u00a0<\/p>\n KDKA Weather Center<\/p>\n Since the water is moving, ice can have a wide range of thicknesses. The water levels change a lot in rivers and creeks; this can cause very dangerous weak spots in the ice as well. \u00a0<\/p>\n Finally, never go on the ice alone. \u00a0<\/p>\n Make sure you tell others where you are going and the times you expect to be there.<\/p>\n Find some ice safety tips here<\/a><\/p>\n \n More from CBS News\n <\/p>\n![\"hey-ray-2.jpg](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/hey-ray-2.jpg#.jpeg\")
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