Ice Sheet!
The good news that comes with these massive arctic air cold fronts is that our ice sheet grows substantially. Putting on right around an inch a day when temperatures are hitting 22 below will have us driving out with pick-us shortly.
I am not driving yet though. Finding too many areas that are only 9-11. Have even heard of reports from the last few days of guys still drilling into 6 and 7 inches of ice. I like consistent 16-18 so that then the thin spots are still 12-14.
Snow Pack!!
She is a drifty one out there, that is for sure. While there are still spots where one can see some bare ice patches, most of the lake is now covered with a snow pack and it gets deep in some areas. Tracked vehicles will have almost no issues, 4wd ATV’s will get stuck if you hit a big drift, once trucks start going our it will be interesting. Funny thing with this snow and then brutal cold, those drifts got rock hard in a hurry, like almost overnight. It is making tracked travel slow going, dash clearing bumps out there folks.
Cracks And Ridges!
I would say that the real issue is that with this massive cold front and sub-zero temperatures, that ice is forming quickly and expanding, creating cracks and ridges. Now, with 8 inches to drifts of 2-3 feet of snow covering most of the lake; being able to see those ridges and cracks is becoming a problem. If you see wet snow in an area, approach carefully and investigate before going further.
Good Luck out there!
