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January 28, 2008

Ice still too thin for safe skating, DEM says / Photo

Journal photo / Frieda Squires
Summer sandles left at Goosewing Beach in Little Compton wait out the winter today.

Remember, a little bit of ice does not an ice skating rink make.

That's what the Department of Environmental Management is reminding people of today.

To be considered safe, DEM officials say ice must have a uniform thickness of at least 6 inches -- something that requires about a week of temperatures in the 20s.

You can't tell if ice is safe just by looking -- there are many factors that determine how stable the ice is, including the salinity and presence of currents and streams.

The DEM checks the ice at several of its state park and recreational areas. Call the State Park Ice Information Line at (401) 222-2632 to get the results. Get more information about the ice skating safety in the DEM's ice safety guide.

So if you want to guarantee safe skating, find a man-made rink.

There's the Bank of America City Center rink in downtown Providence, a great place to take a half-hour twirl on the ice during lunch, or after work, while everyone else is skidding out on the highway, you can work on your double axel.

Other rinks open for public skating include these in Newport, Cranston, Woonsocket and the URI Kingston campus.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Brandie Jefferson  at 3:18 PM | Permalink

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