Having the spring -like temperatures earlier than normal this year means that the snow is starting to melt, and with melting snow there is melting ice.

A man from Marblehead, Massachusetts was walking with his dog and two children, when his dog ran out onto a frozen pond.  When he was going after his dog he fell through the ice.  Luckily he was saved, but with the changing from one season to a warmer season begins the battle of man versus Mother Nature.

And here in the Northeast Kingdom, there is no difference.

Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium's Eye on the Sky, Mark Breen stated, "For what we call the winter months, December, January, and February the temperatures have been five degrees higher than previous years."

With many of those winter nights not hitting there subzero temperatures, have resulted in thinner ice on ponds and lakes this season, but what does this all mean?

The ice is melting faster than normal.

Braden Bunnell from Lyndon Rescue advises residents, "It's been warmer these days and stay off the ice.  A lot of your shore lines have thinner ice than it does in the middle of the ice so that's definitely the one spot that gets thinned out quickest any place where water flows in or out usually thins out more."

Even though ice fishing is good and some of Vermont's hottest ice fishing action of the winter happens usually in early March, Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department officials say fishing safely is should be your first priority.

If you are going fishing don't go alone, make sure you bring a working cell phone, ice spikes, just in case you fall in, and leave your motor vehicles on the shore.

Colonel David LeCours, Vermont's chief game warden, mentioned in a news release on February 26, 2010, to remind all ice shanties owners, they must have their ice shanties off the ice before the ice becomes unsafe or loses its ability to support them.  The official date to have ice shanties off the ice is the last Sunday in March, this year it is March 28^th.