by North Forty News Staff | NorthFortyNews.com
Forest Service urges caution as warming temps prevent solid ice formation
Unseasonably warm temperatures and a lack of consistent snowfall have created unsafe ice conditions on several high-country lakes north of Granby, prompting a safety alert from the U.S. Forest Service for visitors to the Arapaho National Recreation Area.
Officials say ice across the area’s lakes has not capped uniformly, making it unreliable for winter recreation. In particular, Lake Granby does not currently meet minimum safety standards for motorized use on ice. A consistent ice thickness of at least 6 inches is required for ATVs and snowmobiles; these conditions have not been met anywhere on the lake.
As a result, gates at Lake Granby will remain closed to ATV traffic, and snowmobile use is strongly discouraged. Similar caution is advised at Shadow Mountain Reservoir and Willow Creek Reservoir, which—along with Lake Granby—are public lands managed by the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland.
Forest Service officials emphasized that visitor safety remains the top priority and urged residents and visitors from Northern Colorado to use extra caution when recreating on frozen water bodies this season. Up-to-date guidance on ice safety, including recommended thickness levels for various activities, is available from Colorado Parks and Wildlife at https://cpw.state.co.us/fishing/ice-fishing.
The Forest Service said it will continue to monitor conditions and provide updates if ice stability improves.
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Source: U.S. Forest Service – Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland