(Arnolds Park)– With all of the cold weather we’ve been experiencing lately you would think ice conditions on the Iowa Great Lakes wouldn’t be a concern. But Steve Reighard, an enforcement officer with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the recent snow on top of the ice is acting as insulation and he says there are several areas that should be avoided at all cost. Reighard says those coming into the area for Winter Games this weekend need to be aware of the situation…
“We had a meeting with Chamber of Commerce this morning and all of the events are still going to be on the ice. They’re saying foot traffic is just fine. I know there has been some people taking pickups out there but I would be, I won’t take my truck out there. They should be extremely cautious.”
Bridges and points are other places to avoid. And he says it’s deceiving because some of those areas that had open water or thin ice previously are now covered with fresh snow…
“This cold snap has also put a thin coat of ice over some of those areas, so you have to be really cautious. Up around the Highway 9 boat ramp up there a lot of times they’ll load and unload up there, that whole area up there is very thin ice. We actually had a side by side Ranger go through there this weekend, there’s only about three inches of ice. It looked like there was more but there wasn’t, so that would be a good place to stay away from. Of course all the points. The known areas for pressure ridges, like from Fort Dodge Point over to Pillsbury Point, that area across there, there’s always a pressure ridge.”
Reighard says all of Upper Gar should also be avoided. He says the ice there is very thin.
Reighard says it’s also very important those operating snowmobiles, ATV’s and other off road vehicles on the ice after dark to not out-drive the distance of their headlights. He says pressure ridges and other dangers can present themselves extremely quickly.
