As temperatures drop, many residents will be looking forward to enjoying winter outdoor activities. Please remember to take all your belongings and trash with you.
Ice Melts
Please remember to take all your belongings and garbage with you.
Here are some icy facts and common-sense tips to help ensure safety AND prevent trash from entering local waters.
Make sure the ice is thick enough. According to Weathernation, ice is not considered safe to walk on until it is at least 4 inches thick.
Be sure that temperatures are adequate to sustain the ice. The Ashton Ice Growth Prediction Method suggests that it takes approximately 6 days of 20°F weather to form approximately 6 inches of ice, but many other conditions come into play.
Always check current conditions. Although there may be successive days of below-freezing temperatures, any slight change in temperature, cloud cover, and wind can affect the ice.
Be cautious. Many frozen ponds have moving water below the surface that can make ice unstable. (Scudder's Pond in particular has been experiencing greater fluctuations in water level.)
Do not leave items on the ice. A large snowfall can bury items and create hazards for wildlife and humans alike, and sudden warming and thawing can cause items to sink to the bottom of the pond.
Take your trash with you. Improperly disposed of trash gets blown into the shoreline vegetation and local water bodies, where it becomes a risk to marine life and other wildlife.
Please do your part to protect local ponds and Hempstead Harbor. If you see cups, food wrappers, beverage bottles, or other debris, please pick these up and dispose of them properly in available trash containers.
What is left on the ice will end up at the bottom of the pond—please remove all items from the ice when you leave.
