Q : How thick should the ice be before I venture out on it?

A : Remember that the thicknesses mentioned below are only guidelines for new clear solid ice and that many factors other than thickness can cause ice to be unsafe such as currents, wind, water chemistry, vegetation and its age. It’s also important to note that white or milky ice is only about one half as strong as new clear ice.

• Four inches of new clear ice is the minimum for travel on foot.

• Five inches for ATVs or snowmobiles.

• EIght to 12” for cars or small trucks.

Before any trip on the ice, check with a local resort or bait shop for conditions on the lake where you are heading. Then check the ice a number of times as you walk out, since ice is seldom a uniform thickness, especially early in the season.

Q : Where can I find information about snow depth and ski trail/ snowmobile trail conditions?

A : The DNR provides a Web page that provides snow depth and ski/snowmobile trail condition reports for DNRmaintained trails around Minnesota. Information is updated weekly or as conditions warrant. For current conditions go to http:// mndnr.gov/snow_depth