The volunteer group that measures ice thickness around Yellowknife is about to report back for the first time this winter.
While Yellowknife old timers generally have a good grasp of how thick the ice needs to be before you can walk or drive on it, people can be easily caught out.
Shaun Morris, president of the Great Slave Snowmobile Association, told Cabin Radio the group’s measurements are expected to begin this weekend.
Each fall, the association publishes weekly updates around November time after testing ice thickness on various city lakes.
The city recommends residents wait until ice is at least six inches thick before crossing frozen lakes. Even then, thickness can vary considerably from point to point, so take care.
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So far this fall, Cabin Radio has had one report of a truck going through some ice at the sandpits – not an official lake and not a location on the association’s usual test circuit – and another, unconfirmed report of children getting into difficulty on Frame Lake.
Plenty of residents have been taking advantage of the crisp ice and lack of snow to indulge in some picturesque skating over recent days.
Yellowknife had an unusually dry October, with no snow on the ground heading into November.
