Our warm December is starting to cool off a little bit, but daytime temperatures are still climbing above freezing across the area.  Outdoor enthusiasts need to use caution while heading out into the great outdoors, especially around water.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is reminding people to stay clear of early ice and use extreme caution when recreating on dangerously cold water.

Although some locations in the northern and western regions of the state were reporting ice formation at the end of November, the recent fluctuations in weather have led to degraded ice conditions and warnings from public safety officials to stay off the ice until at least 4 inches of new, clear ice is present.

Last winter, five people died after breaking through the ice, including one toddler. No deaths have been reported yet this winter, although several emergency ice rescues have taken place in the last few weeks.

The lack of ice cover also means many bodies of water in the Northland still have open water accessible to boaters. However, late season anglers, boaters and paddlers are cautioned that a life jacket is an absolute must on cold water.

State statistics show that one-third of boating fatalities typically occur during the “cold water season,” and that in the vast majority of cases the cause of death is drowning due to not wearing a life jacket.

So far in 2015, nine boaters have died on cold water, and 18 total boating fatalities have been reported. The last time state boating fatalities surpassed 18 deaths was in 2005, when 23 occurred.

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