How thick should ice be to drive on

Get some peace and quiet, enjoy the fresh air for a bit, rest from your phone … But are you sure you know what to expect and what to do if something unexpected happens? Read on! When going out on a lake for ice fishing, skating, or even snowmobiling, you should prepare yourself as much as possible to avoid going through the ice and having to deal with thin ice.

The safety of the ice is related to its thickness. The following provides a general guide, based on solid blue lake ice. If the ice is:. Watch out when you go out and if something does happen, come to our repair shops in Hamilton — we will take care of your car! Auto service and maintenance Hamilton.

Have fun and thanks for asking! And be safe out there! My concern this year is that we have not had enough cold weather for the ice to freeze good ice to host this derby. Can you please give me some insight into how thick the ice should be for people to be in attendance with over holes pre drilled. Thank you for your input. Hi, Darla: Thank you for such detail and concern. This is a great question, for which we have no answer. Insight, though—perhaps we can lend.

Feel free to take under advisement the table above—regarding ice thickness. We can tell you that here in New Hampshire, we have postponed more than one derby in the name of extreme caution, which you quite correctly sense is important. Thanks again, and be safe! Oh: And good luck to your anglers, whenever they fish! Skip to main content. Know When it's Safe to be on the Ice. By The Editors.

Want to bring your Acura along? Make sure the ice is at least 8 to 12 inches thick! In the case of older white ice, which is half as strong as new and clear ice, you will need double the thickness. When you are ready to go ice fishing, make sure to use common sense. Ice flexes and recovers after a vehicle passes over it, but a parked vehicle delivers a constant load that can cause failure. Drill a hole beside each vehicle and watch for water welling up, which is a sign the ice is deflecting downwards.

You can use a variety of tools to poke a hole in the ice. It will make a hole big enough to insert a tape measure.