While smaller lakes and ponds begin to freeze over, fire and rescue departments are still recommending people exercise caution on the ice. Franklin Fire Chief Mike Foss commented on this as Webster Lake nearby is starting to form a thin layer of ice, but still not thick enough for recreational use.

“My message would be to always use an abundance of caution if using it for recreational activities,” he said.

Laconia Fire Chief Tim Joubert said he has started to see smaller water bodies like Lily Pond freeze enough for people to get on the ice, but with the warmer temperatures this week, he expressed some concern overall. Until there is consistent cold weather, it is not certain whether a body of water will be safe.

“It would need to be a long, prolonged cold snap, with deep freezes,” he said. “When you have a fluctuation of temperatures, you get different layers which isn’t as strong.”

Dave Emerson of Emerson Aviation performs flyovers of Lake Winnipesaukee to determine ice-in. As of right now, there is no indication that the lake will freeze anytime soon.

“We have eyes on the lake all the time, birds' eye view,” he said. “We have a pretty good idea of what’s going on up there.”

A standard ice-in would happen sometime mid- to late January. Factors that can delay ice-in could be high water levels, increased runoff and higher temperatures. Emerson said temperatures this year are normal for the Granite State, which could lead to a typical ice-in, but it's never certain.

“It seems like it’s a little bit more normal going in, but that could change tomorrow.”

Ice-in last winter was declared on Feb. 9. Ice-in is defined as when all major sections of the lake, including all the bays plus The Broads, are iced over. Ice-out is signified by the M/S Mount Washington's navigability to and from all its ports of call. Ice-in last year only stayed for 24 hours, and ice-out was officially declared on March 17.

Emerson said in order to call ice-in, there needs to be about 80% ice coverage on the lake, and cold air going down to zero degrees Fahrenheit.

“If we see 30s during the day, and 20s at night, that’s going to get the lake to cool down, then we’ll start to see some freezing going. Then when we get to mid- to late January, we get to see some single numbers overnight, and hopefully it will flash over,” he said. “Once it catches and stays below freezing, it’ll continue to go that way.”

Emerson also noted Alton Bay has frozen down to the bandstand, which indicates a good pace toward standard ice-in time.

As the lakes continue to freeze, the fire chiefs had some tips for staying safe during this upcoming winter season. Foss recommends people understand proper ice depth for each of their on-ice activities. According to the NH Fish and Game website, there should be a minimum of 6 inches of hard ice before individual foot travel, and 8 to 10 inches of hard ice for snow machine or all-terrain vehicle travel.

Foss emphasized always exercising caution when testing the ice for proper depth, as someone may get a false impression, especially with fresh snowfall on the lake.

“With snow that can get on the ice, too, it can throw people’s perception of how thick the ice can be,” he said.

Joubert also underscored the importance of having a buddy system, due to how large some lakes are in the region. He said 911 calls about people who fall in the lake are sometimes insufficient for a quick response, and it helps to have someone else to pinpoint a location.

“Some of our lakes are extremely large, and it can be very time consuming to try and locate them.”

Joubert also said his department also performs animal rescues as well, and does not advise residents to attempt to save an animal on their own.

“We take those very seriously, because we don’t want a Good Samaritan to go onto the ice and try and make that rescue” and get hurt, he said. “It’s much better if they call us.”

Both Laconia and Franklin have ice safety training, as well as many other Lakes Region departments. In Laconia, a larger municipality, more staff and resources can be dedicated to their ice safety missions. All fire staff are trained in ice safety rescue, and they have dedicated ice safety technicians.

Foss said Franklin’s smaller department can have a delayed response to an ice safety rescue mission due to staffing issues and business. Someone waiting for rescue could potentially be out in the cold up to 20 minutes.

“For us, it reminds us that there will be extra people on the lake, and we need to be available to respond in case of an emergency,” he said.

But as time goes on, and the ice continues the freeze, Foss recognizes a lot of people will participate in recreational activities on the lake. He only asks that everyone use common sense.

“We want people to have fun, but to always use caution,” he said.

These articles are being shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.