During this time of year, Albertans often participate in winter activities like skiing, ice fishing, and others but this year has been a little different.
The average temperatures around Alberta have been hovering around zero, and most of the province has seen little to no snow because of an El Niño, a weather phenomenon in the southern Pacific Ocean that has caused warmer-than-average temperatures for most of Canada and the Pacific Northwest, according to The Weather Network.
With these warmer temperatures comes very thin ice on lakes and rivers throughout the province. According to Alberta Blue Cross, most lakes in the province aren’t frozen over enough to bear the weight of snowmobiles and other vehicles most people take to go ice-fishing. Some aren’t able to hold the weight of a person, and the Alberta Blue Cross recommends to not step on an ice sheet if it’s three inches thick or less.
