10 snowmobilers die in thinly frozen lakes in mild Northeast - Fox News

[TomSea]

10 snowmobilers die in thinly frozen lakes in mild Northeast

A man rides a snowmobile on a street in the village of Upper Nyack, New York, a northern suburb of New York City along the Hudson river January 23, 2016.  (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
ALBANY, N.Y. –  Ten snowmobilers have died in thinly frozen lakes across the Northeast during this mild winter.

Most of the accidents happened in New York state, where officials warned that, despite recent snowfalls, many lakes have not had enough cold days to develop ice thick enough for riding.

"There is more unsafe ice this winter," said Col. Andrew Jacob of the New York Forest Rangers. "In most places of the state we haven't had the bitter cold, below-zero weather you need to get really thick ice."

Surprisingly, most of the accidents have involved men in their 50s and 60s who have been riding snowmobiles most of their lives.

That was the case with Steve Sattler, 67, and his brother Ed, 64, who died this month when their snowmobiles plunged through the ice on Tupper Lake in the Adirondacks as they were riding back to the family's vacation home.

"It was unexpected because they were always very careful when they went out on ice," said Linda Sattler, Steve's daughter.

Continued: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/02/16/10-snowmobilers-die-in-thinly-frozen-lakes-in-mild-northeast.html

Snowmobile deaths alarming: N.Y. tally at 18; rate is quadruple that of last season
N.Y. tally at 18; rate is quadruple that of last season
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According to the Associated Press, 10 snowmobilers have died in the Northeast on thinly frozen lakes so far in a relatively mild winter. The AP’s research takes into account only those who have died on lakes as a result of falling through thin ice.
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See More At: http://www.leaderherald.com/news/local-news/2017/02/snowmobile-deaths-alarming-n-y-tally-at-18-rate-is-quadruple-that-of-last-season/

[Suppressed]

@Norm Lenhart
Tupper Lake ping

[Norm Lenhart]

@Norm Lenhart
Tupper Lake ping

Home sweet home once.

That lake is usually really solid, but there are a couple places that the current runs and even cold weather leaves the est of the ice thick because of it. The worst is near 'Underwood Bridge", an old railroad bridge on the far side of the lake. I almost went through the ice there one winter when we were riding in a whiteout. We got turned around and the back of the sled dropped through but the running boards kept it from going in. Fortunately ice spiked track and stupid levels of horsepower saved the day and my dumb ass.

There's a lot of ice fishing up there and the shacks dot the lake all winter. It's a virtual parking lot of cars as well most years. Every couple years someone goes through and dies.

[Suppressed]

Every couple years someone goes through and dies.

Wow.

Amazing that people are still going through, despite everyone knowing what danger there is and what precautions to take.

[Sanguine]

I thought they were having record snow up there now?

[Norm Lenhart]

Wow.

Amazing that people are still going through, despite everyone knowing what danger there is and what precautions to take.

USUALLY, though not always, it's not a local/someone familiar with the area. Not always though. In more recent times, there has been growth in the sports (snowmobiling/ice fishing) as more people get new toys to play with and they weren't raised on how/what to look for.

Ice is finicky stuff. Sometimes a lake can be thick with ice in warmer temps (as in closer to the freezing point) and thinner when it's colder because of the snow cover acting as an insulator. People learn to read the conditions over time and that means being familiar with any given lake.

Yea there are generalities like 'no snow + 30deg below zero for a month = thick ice' but it's always a risk going out there no matter what because of currents, past snow cover etc. People watch 'Ice Road Truckers' or whatever and think they understand how it all works, but it isn't like that at all. Out here in the Mohave, (I live in AZ now) people go out in the desert all the time and end up dead because they don't bring any water or they think their brand new $50,000 4x4 can't get stuck because it's a $50,000 4x4.

[Cripplecreek]

Wow.

Amazing that people are still going through, despite everyone knowing what danger there is and what precautions to take.

It hasn't been a good year for safe ice. We had 2 periods of safe ice with a near total thaw between them. I give it about 3 days before the lake I live on is totally open again.

[Cripplecreek]

Michiganders warned to stay off ice as temperatures rise

http://www.mlive.com/weather/index.ssf/2017/02/michiganders_warned_to_stay_of.html

Unseasonably warm temperatures across Michigan mean no one should attempt to go out onto the ice this weekend, according to state officials.

State Fire Marshal Julie Secontine said conditions are too dangerous for residents to go onto ice-covered waterways in Michigan because temperatures are expected to climb well above freezing throughout the state.

"Thawing ice conditions on Michigan's lakes, rivers and ponds are dangerous and unpredictable this time of year," said Secontine, in a statement from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. "Don't take risks by venturing on to any ice-covered waters to avoid dangerous situations that may end in tragedy.

[musiclady]

I thought they were having record snow up there now?

Heavy snow does not necessarily equate with strong ice.  It frequently snows in the 30's, and ice is far too fragile at those temps......... especially for heavy objects like snowmobiles.

This is sad because these deaths are so preventable....     

[Cripplecreek]

Heavy snow does not necessarily equate with strong ice.  It frequently snows in the 30's, and ice is far too fragile at those temps......... especially for heavy objects like snowmobiles.

This is sad because these deaths are so preventable....     

Us northerners start looking forward to snow in very cold winters because it usually comes with warmer weather.

[musiclady]

Us northerners start looking forward to snow in very cold winters because it usually comes with warmer weather.

Exactly.  I lived in Minnesota six winters and the colder it got, the less it snowed.

Here in Ohio, though it doesn't get nearly as cold, nor cold as often, it tends to be the same way.

In fact, in a gloomy Ohio winter (or Michigan?), the colder it gets the more I like it because there's a far better chance the sun will be shining.

(However, this weekend it's going to be sixty and sunny, so I'll take that too.  ^-^)

[Cripplecreek]

Exactly.  I lived in Minnesota six winters and the colder it got, the less it snowed.

Here in Ohio, though it doesn't get nearly as cold, nor cold as often, it tends to be the same way.

In fact, in a gloomy Ohio winter (or Michigan?), the colder it gets the more I like it because there's a far better chance the sun will be shining.

(However, this weekend it's going to be sixty and sunny, so I'll take that too.  ^-^)

Its nice to have the clear sunny winter days but the clear starry nights are bitter cold most of the time.

[musiclady]

Its nice to have the clear sunny winter days but the clear starry nights are bitter cold most of the time.

I'll never forget the first night I was out in the bitter cold in MN.  (WELL below zero).  I went to a concert in downtown Minneapolis, and we had to walk a long way to the car.  It took me at least 45 minutes to stop shuddering after I got in.

There's some cold stuff up north.

But did you ever have snow rollers up there??  Strangest thing I've ever seen....