Ice strength overview

Ice strength is related to a combination of factors such as the thickness and temperature of the ice and the amount of salts in the ice. For instance:

• Thick ice is usually stronger than thin ice.
• Salt water ice is not as strong as fresh water ice of the same thickness.
• Ice that is near the melting temperature will have much less strength compared to ice of the same thickness, but with lower temperature.

For more information, please visit our Canadian Ice Service links.