The Government of Saskatchewan says ice fishing season has finally arrived and the Ministry of Environment is reminding anglers to keep safety top of mind. Unseasonably warm temperatures throughout December means it is easy to misjudge ice thickness.

Patrick Boyle with the Water Security Agency says what has happened in a number of areas is that, paticularly this year, ice can be hazardous. He says the ice needs to be tested every time you go out, with four inches being safe for walking, eight inches for an ATV or snowmobile and 12 inches or more for trucks.

Boyle says ice safety is a pretty big deal any winter but especially an El Nino winter like this one. He notes that ice is much easier to predict when a winter includes a consistent temperature of about 20 degrees below freezing.

Environment Canada meteorologist Terri Lang says December temperatures were 8 to 9 degrees above the 30-year average over the entire province.  Lang also compiled the temperature and precipitation data for 2023. Saskatoon, North Battleford and Meadow Lake were all in the top five warmest on record. Other centres were in the top ten.