Warm temperatures prompt thin ice warnings in Winnipeg

WINNIPEG – Unseasonably warm temperatures are thinning ice on Winnipeg rivers and ponds, officials warn.

Winnipeggers are warned to stay off the ice as Monday’s forecast high is 1 C.

READ MORE: Winnipeggers enjoy the first day of winter

While many are enjoying the warmth as winter officially starts – the normal high is -12 C – the river skating trails haven’t been able to open and even the canopy rink at The Forks is closed.

The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service received 50 water and ice safety calls in 2013, police and fire officials said in a news release Monday.

The Manitoba branch of the Lifesaving Society says one-third of all drownings in the province happen between October and April, and many of those take place on ice.

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RELATED: Current weather forecast

If ice is three inches thick or less, people should stay off, the Lifesaving Society says.

Ice more than four inches thick is safe for walking, ice fishing or cross-country skiing.

Snowmobiles and ATVs aren’t safe until the ice reaches a thickness of five inches.

— With files from Katie Dangerfield