NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Single-digit temperatures and consistently colder-than-normal weather have caused ice to form on ponds across Tennessee.
These arctic temperatures are cold enough to freeze a thick layer of ice over ponds and even some small lakes. It may be tempting to dust off the ice skates and play pond hockey, but ice is never 100% safe.
Ice doesn’t freeze evenly. Some spots might seem safe to venture on, but currents and moving water can cause other areas to be too thin.
Nashville National Weather Service meteorologist Mark Rose said this cold snap won’t be long enough to support walking or skating on ice.
“I’ve never seen ice thick enough around here to be able to walk out on, so even after three straight days of below-freezing temperatures I wouldn’t trust it,” Rose told News 2.
Rose said we would need several days of below-zero temperatures to get thick enough ice.
According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, no ice is 100% safe, but it takes at least 4″ to support the weight of a human, and more than a foot for a car!
Rose said 4″ thick ice is extremely rare in Middle Tennessee and he said to avoid walking on any frozen body of water.
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