Cass Co. Sheriff Warning Public About Deteriorating Ice Conditions on Lakes

Credit: Cass County Sheriff’s Office

With warm weather conditions, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public about the dangers of being on being on area lakes.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office issued a press release last weekend alerting people about the hazardous ice conditions on Leech Lake and other bodies of water due to the mild winter being experienced in Minnesota. The warm temperatures are causing the ice to break away, and high winds in the area are also causing the ice to shift, resulting in large, open cracks.

It is crucial to know and understand the conditions, especially during the dark, as it is unsafe for people to venture out on the ice.

“Everything this year is different than in the past years. The ice is changing so fast,” said Cass County Sheriff Bryan Welk. “So we have to be vigilant this year and we’re seeing ice movements take place with the winds that we’ve had. Leech Lake, for instance, has already started to separate into cracks and moving up to the shore, so I would say at this point, especially on the lakes that we know are opening up and moving, to stay away and stay off them completely just because they’re so unstable and unpredictable.”

Sheriff Welk warns that the ice is unstable and changes daily. With warmer temperatures ahead, ice conditions will likely deteriorate rapidly.