CLEVELAND, Ohio - A noticeably warmer weather pattern is ahead for the Midwest this week, leading to dangerously thinning ice on the Great Lakes, warns the U.S. Coast Guard.
"The U.S. Coast Guard is encouraging people to exercise caution in the coming days around ice on the lakes and waterways in the Great Lakes region," says the U.S. Coast Guard 9th District for the Great Lakes.
Warmer temperatures and a chance of scattered showers can significantly weaken ice, although it may appear to still be more stable than it really is.
The Coast Guard urges people on the water to wear the proper winter gear, remember safety equipment, keep a means of communication on you at all times, and to inform friends and family of your whereabouts.
It's easiest to remember ICE, an acronym for winter ice safety from the U.S. Coast Guard:
I - Information: check the weather and ice conditions, know where you are going, and know how to call for help.
C- Clothing: wear the proper anti-exposure clothes with multiple layers. If possible, wear a dry suit to prevent hypothermia, which can occur within minutes after falling through the ice, plus a life jacket.
E - Equipment: have the proper equipment before venturing out onto ice such as a marine band radio, a Personal Locator Beacon, life jackets and screw drivers or ice picks which can help you pull yourself out of the water if you fall through the ice.
Keep checking cleveland.com/weather for daily weather updates for Northeast Ohio, and don't forget to submit any weather questions you may have!
Kelly Reardon is cleveland.com's meteorologist. Please follow me on Facebook and Twitter @KellyRWeather.