Perils of spring weather

Captains,

Coast Guard District Commanders in Boston and Cleveland published advice to boaters and ice fishermen about the risks of thinking its summer or still winter when its really not. The lure of the open waterway on a nice day after a long cold winter is strong, but shouldn't undermine common sense and safety of life.

RDML W

BOSTON – The United States Coast Guard is issuing a fair weather warning for all boaters, paddlers, sailors and fishers who plan to venture out this weekend on the inland and coastal waters of the Northeast’s First Coast Guard District.

With sunny skies and spring-like temperatures forecasted for Saturday and Sunday and inland ice covers rapidly subsiding, the beck and call of open water is strong for many small boaters and paddlers. However, the Coast Guard’s advice is to ignore that call unless properly attired in a dry suit or wet suit, wearing a Coast Guard-approved life jacket and prepared in all respects in the event of capsizing or falling overboard. With coastal water temperatures just a few degrees above freezing and inland waters even colder, the lure of spring-like weather creates a deceptively dangerous combination.

CLEVELAND - The U.S. Coast Guard advises all Great Lakes residents and ice fishing enthusiasts to be aware of possible ice floe break-aways in the coming days.

The National Weather Service forecasts that an ice floe may be set adrift in the western basin of Lake Erie this weekend. The northern half of the western basin of Lake Erie is now ice-free with extensive ice coverage over the southern half of the lake. Winds are forecast to remain from a northerly direction which will help keep the ice locked to the southern shore through the next few days. However, winds are forecast to shift to a southwest direction Saturday night and increase in speed on Sunday.

Temperatures are expected to warm up into the upper 30s and lower 40s over the weekend. The combination of the warmer temperatures and shifting winds along with expected sunshine will cause hazardous conditions on the ice over the weekend.

A large ice floe could potentially break away from its anchor to the islands and shore of Ohio and drift toward Canada. For anyone venturing out on the ice this weekend, there is a danger of becoming trapped on the ice as the ice begins to break away.