During the late winter and early spring seasons, outdoor activity enthusiasts should begin to pay close attention to their local weather forecasts. This is especially true if you enjoy activities on the ice, such as fishing or skating. Warmer temperatures and whipping winds begin to impact ice coverage and stability on ponds, lakes, seas, and oceans this time of year.
The Great Lakes region is no stranger to the phenomenon known as an ice floe. Simply put, an ice floe is a detached sheet of ice that can float away. More than 100 people were stranded on an ice floe in Lake Erie off the coast of Ohio on Saturday, March 9, 2019. Local officials in Ottawa County and the U.S. Coast Guard had to assist in rescuing many of these people, according to WeatherNation affiliate WTVG-TV in Toledo, Ohio.
For more information on the story and to explain how ice floes work, WeatherNation meteorologist Joe Astolfi has a closer look.
The best advice is to be aware of your surroundings at all times, pay close attention to current weather conditions, and know the forecast.
Find your local forecast HERE.