One thing about Up North Michiganders: We know how to make the most of winter.

For many of us, that includes getting out on the ice to fish.

But that comes with inherent dangers, especially as the forecast shows a warmup this week.

Shortly after the blizzard walloped the area earlier this month and icy temps came in behind the storm, Presque Isle County Undersheriff Chris Flewelling measured about 3 or 4 inches of ice on Grand Lake. The Farmer’s Almanac will tell you that’s usually just about the minimum for safe ice fishing.

But that’s not necessarily the case.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources reminds us there’s so such thing as a safe thickness of ice, because ice safety depends on many variables beyond just how thick it is.

Sudden cold fronts can create cracks in the ice. Thawing and refreezing — as we can expect to see happen this week, with temperatures well above freezing during the day and dipping back to freezing at night — can weaken the ice.

The DNR offers the following safety tips:

∫ Strong ice is clear with a bluish tint. Weak ice appears milky. Don’t just measure the ice, look at it to know if it’s safe to walk on or bring gear on.

∫ Stay off of ice with slush on top, which indicates ice is not freezing from the bottom.

∫ Be extra cautious on the ice if there’s unfrozen water along the shoreline.

∫ Avoid areas of ice with protruding debris, such as logs.

If you do break through the ice, the DNR recommends:

∫ Most importantly, stay calm.

∫ In the water, keep your winter gear on, which won’t drag you down but will provide some warmth.

∫ Turn in the water toward the direction from which you came, which will most likely be stronger ice.

∫ Once you get out of the water and onto the ice, roll away — don’t run or walk away — from the spot through which you fell. Rolling distributes weight more evenly and prevents another breakthrough.

∫ Immediately get to a shelter and remove your wet clothing and replace with warm, dry clothes. Drink a warm, uncaffeinated, non-alcoholic beverage to bring up your body temperature.

Visit michigan.gov/dnr/education/safety-info/ice for more tips.

The ice is beautiful and ice fishing and similar activities make the winter weather worth the hassle. But we have to respect the winter and take precautions to stay safe.

Stay safe out there, Northeast Michigan.