The Chanhassen Fire Department wants to remind residents to be careful out on freshly frozen ice. Make sure you measure the ice before you get out on a lake or pond, especially this early in the season.

Remember, if there is less than 4 inches of ice, stay off. After 4 inches of ice, you can ice fish, walk, and skate. Do not drive a car out on the ice until there is 9-12 inches and you need 13-17 inches before you take a truck out. Never take a heavy duty truck with a wheelhouse shelter out on the ice unless there are 20 inches or more.

When it is safe to go out on the ice, wear a foam life jacket or flotation suit. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) claims that most people who fall through the ice do not die from hypothermia but from drowning. 

For more resources on ice safety, please visit the Minnesota DNR's website.