Soaring Wyoming Temps Have Affected Your Big Weekend Plans

The thought was in the back of everyone's mind because of the nice weather we've been having across Central Wyoming, but we were hoping it wouldn't happen.

Dangerous ice is behind canceling the 35th annual Hawg Ice Fishing Derby at Pathfinder Reservoir.

With the temperatures soaring to the 50s and even low 60s the past few days, the ice isn't safe to get on. Anything less than 4" of good ice is way too dangerous to walk on, and doing so could cause significant issues regarding your safety.

Earlier this week, the Natrona County Emergency Management team posted on their social media the guidelines for making sure the ice is safe enough to be on, and currently, it's not.

The Pathfinder Boat & Fishing Club made the original 'cancellation' announcement on Thursday afternoon, hoping the weather cooperates in the next few weeks, and it may just be a postponement.

Over the last couple of years, there have been some issues at Pathfinder, where anglers have been put into unsafe situations. Safety should always be your priority when deciding the best way to approach the ice, and knowing how to ensure the ice is safe is extremely important.

Here are a few things from Wiki: How to consider when determining whether the ice is safe.

• Appearance of the ice - its color, texture, and features
• The thickness of the ice - there are recommended thicknesses for different uses, which are set out below
• External temperature over some time and on the day
  Snow coverage
• Depth of water under ice
• Size of the water body
• Chemical composition of water - whether water is fresh or salt
• Local climate fluctuations
• Extent of ice
• Flowing water near or at the edges of the ice
• Water flows in and out of the iced-over water body
• Cracks, breaks, or holes
• Ice that appears to have thawed and refrozen
• Abnormal surfaces that you have not seen before - e.g., pressure ridges caused by currents or winds

Remember this:  "Thick and blue, tried and true; Thin and crispy, way too risky."