AP-PA--Pennsylvania News Digest, PA

Coast Guard urges extra caution when on Great Lakes ice

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard is urging people to use extra caution when venturing onto ice on Lake Superior, the St. Marys River, and the northern parts of lakes Michigan and Huron. Rain, winds and above-freezing temperatures are in the forecast for this weekend. Those conditions are expected to bring melting and weakening ice in the Great Lakes region. The Coast Guard notes ice thickness can vary, even in small areas. Water currents can cause thin ice and cracks can indicate dangerous conditions. The Coast Guard closes waterways to boats each winter near Mackinac Island, Bois Blanc Island and Beaver Island to allow for the formation of ice bridges. Those typically are used for travel to and from the islands, but the Coast Guard says ice bridges aren't safe this year.

Coast Guard urges extra caution on northern Great Lakes ice