UNDATED -- The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is warning you that the ice still isn't safe to walk or drive on.

While, some lakes and ponds may have the recommended minimum four inches of ice, others don't. Stearns County Chief Deputy Sheriff Bruce Bechtold says the ice thickness varies greatly in central Minnesota.  The sheriff's office is advising you to wait another week or two.

Bechtold says parents should be reminding their kids to stay off the ice until it thickens too.

If you do plan to venture out onto the ice, you should wear a life jacket, bring ice picks, a rope and an ice chisel to test the thickness ahead of your walking path.

Bechtold says it's never a good idea to go out alone either.

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