NewsCut

When the ice gets too thick

There's about 24 inches of ice on Lake of the Woods, and why wouldn't there be? The self-proclaimed "walleye capital of the world" is practically at the north pole.

Ice fishing? Perfectly safe. What could go wrong with 24 inches of ice?

This.

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A crack in the ice on Lake of the Woods narrowly misses an ice house at Long Point Resort. Photo: Long Point Resort.
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Photo: Long Point Resort.

What's happening here? How can it be so cold and have a crack develop when there's two feet of ice?

It's not melting; it cracked because of the cold. As the ice gets thicker, it also gets heavier, and starts to sink until breaks.

(disputed: see below)

Ice is cool like that.

(h/t: Gary Taylor)