UNDATED (WJON News) -- The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is asking adults to talk with children about the dangers of thin ice this time of year.

Get our free mobile app

A recent cold snap means some water bodies are beginning to freeze, but this early stage of ice is particularly dangerous. Water temperatures are dangerously cold by this time of year and hypothermia can set in quickly upon exposure.

Children are generally curious about water and ice and the DNR says adults need to be extremely cautious with kids to avoid a tragedy.

Officials say there must be at least four inches of new, clear ice before walking on it.


ALSO IN THE NEWS...

LOOK: The most extreme temperatures in the history of every state

Stacker consulted 2021 data from the NOAA's State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC) to illustrate the hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in each state. Each slide also reveals the all-time highest 24-hour precipitation record and all-time highest 24-hour snowfall.

Keep reading to find out individual state records in alphabetical order.

LOOK: Here are the best lake towns to live in

Many of the included towns jump out at the casual observer as popular summer-rental spots--the Ozarks' Branson, Missouri, or Arizona's Lake Havasu--it might surprise you to dive deeper into some quality-of-life offerings beyond the beach and vacation homes. You'll likely pick up some knowledge from a wide range of Americana: one of the last remaining 1950s-style drive-ins in the Midwest; a Florida town that started as a Civil War veteran retirement area; an island boasting some of the country's top public schools and wealth-earners right in the middle of a lake between Seattle and Bellevue; and even a California town containing much more than Johnny Cash's prison blues.

 

LOOK: 20 tips to help your houseplants survive the winter

More From 96.7 The River