Warming conditions, shifting winds and a sun higher in the sky are starting the annual spring thaw, and causing ice on Lake Superior, the Duluth-Superior harbor and rivers entering the lake to be unsafe, the Coast Guard said Thursday.
The Coast Guard warns of the possibility of ice breaking apart, endangering ice anglers and others moving around on the ice.
"Ice conditions along the North Shore and western Lake Superior are rapidly changing and dangerously unstable," said Senior Chief Petty Officer Robert Pump, officer-in-charge of Station Duluth. "With the prediction of south winds and warming temperatures over the next seven days, a high probability of the ice pack to break up and set adrift exists.
"Venturing out onto Lake Superior ice is not recommended."
The Coast Guard on Wednesday said it would begin icebreaking operations in the Twin Ports area on Monday, making shipping channels and areas of Lake Superior even more unsafe for anglers, snowmobiles and others who may venture out. The agency warned people to stay well away from the harbor entries and channels inside the port.
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For more information about the warning, contact (906) 635-3233. The Coast Guard warns people to never venture out on the ice alone, and proper precautions should always be taken before heading out on the water or the ice.
