Warm winter intice slim ice warnings forecast in New York city

Warm winter intice slim ice warnings forecast in New York city details...

Aside from a few snowstorms and a very brief spell of extreme cold, it has been an unusually warm winter, with temperatures rarely falling below freezing.

It's something many are likely to celebrate, but the warmer temperatures have also created unsafe conditions for recreational activities on the state's frozen waters.

Warm winter intice slim ice warnings forecast in New York city details...

Officials said the heat of the past few weeks has made it unsafe to be on the ice and even if temperatures drop again, this season of recreational activities on the ice is over.

Anyone wanting to go to a frozen lake or pond at this time of year is walking on thin ice. As the climate warms, the ice becomes less stable and more dangerous.

Bob Jewell of the State Office of Fire Prevention and Control wants people to know that it is not safe to venture out on the ice at this time of year.

Warm winter intice slim ice warnings forecast in New York city details...

"We're looking at a situation where we haven't had good cold weather to create the solid, thick, clear ice you're looking for for safe recovery," Jewell said.

Even when sea ice appears solid, it can still be unstable, and trying to test it is a bad idea.

"The ice that we have here today, as you can see, is very choppy and patchy and spongy," Jewell said. "It is not very good.It's not very stable."

Warm winter intice slim ice warnings forecast in New York city details...

Temperature changes and wind have a major impact on the ice. Areas that were safe to walk on yesterday may be unsafe today.

"Especially with warming and drainage, the ice will keep changing", said Evan Nahor, a New York forest.