This season used to be the time to enjoy Maine’s iced waters without hesitation – skating on them; fishing from a hut on them; driving snowmobiles, cars and trucks on them, and just accepting the challenge of seeing if you could walk and slide on their slippery surfaces.
And then came climate warming and freezes and thaws, and light snows followed by rain, and undependable ice. This year began with a January fatality of a man having Maine ice under his feet crack open.
DO NOT get on pond, lake, or river ice unless you are SURE that you are walking or skating on at least 4 inches of ice; snowmobiling on at least 5; driving an average-sized passenger car on 8-12, or driving an average-sized truck on 12-to-15 inches. Those are Maine government numbers, not mine.
In fact, Maine officials do not recommend driving passenger cars or trucks onto frozen ponds, period! They say that, if you must drive a vehicle on that ice, be prepared to leave the vehicle in a hurry through its windows, which should be kept open when driving on such ice. Also, unbuckle your seat belt, pack flotation gear, and have an emergency plan discussed with your passengers before driving onto frozen bodies of water. (Image taken in Brooklin, Maine, on December 15, 2023.)