It’s not usually a good idea to walk on frozen ponds, rivers, or lakes in Missouri and Arkansas, but it is tempting when it gets cold.
In a Facebook post, the Taney County Ambulance District reminds people of the dangers of walking on a frozen body of water. While the ice may seem stable in one spot, its thickness can change dramatically over a foot or two and can lead to a sudden fall through the ice. Falling into water under a frozen pond or lake can lead to rapid hypothermia, loss of muscle control, and drowning.
So how much ice is thick enough to walk on? In general, at least 4 inches of ice thickness is considered safe to walk on with limited concern of breaking through. Small off-road vehicles like ATVs or snowmobiles generally need 6″ of ice, and the ice should be a foot thick before a car or truck should be driven on it.
There is an equation you can use to calculate how thick the ice COULD be. The equation is to take the average daily temperature and subtract 32 from it (this may be negative). Then, divide that number by 15. The result is how many inches of ice COULD have developed that day…