State Issues Renewed Thin-Ice Warnings for Sullivan County After Snowmobile Breakthroughs

State officials and regional broadcasters issued renewed thin-ice warnings for Sullivan County after several incidents on Feb. 17, 2026, across New Hampshire in which people, equipment and snowmobiles broke through weakened ice. The statewide bulletin followed at least one recent partial ice-failure incident described as wide, prompting officials to highlight elevated risk on lakes and ponds that have not refrozen uniformly.

The Feb. 17 warning was aimed at residents and recreational users in Sullivan County and surrounding towns, emphasizing that weakened ice had already given way to support people and motorized equipment in multiple locations around the state. Broadcasters carried the bulletin into local airtime, increasing public visibility of the hazards for snowmobile riders and property owners who use tracked vehicles on frozen water.

Local implications are immediate: snowmobile operators and owners of heavy equipment who traverse frozen surfaces in Sullivan County face heightened danger because the incidents involved both people and machines breaking through. The warning highlights that ice thickness can vary across a single waterbody and that at least one partial ice-failure incident was extensive enough to affect a broad swath of ice, increasing the likelihood of similar failures on nearby lakes and smaller ponds.

The renewed guidance places responsibility on town officials and trail managers to reassess public access and safety measures. Because the bulletin was issued by state officials and amplified by broadcasters, municipalities in Sullivan County now confront decisions about posting additional signage, issuing local closures for popular ice routes, and coordinating with county emergency services to update rescue plans for ice emergencies. Those operational choices will determine how quickly recreational mobility is restored and how municipal resources are allocated in the coming days.

For residents and equipment operators in Sullivan County, the practical takeaway from the Feb. 17 bulletin is clear: avoid travel on ice where conditions are uncertain, recognize that the recent incidents involved people and motorized equipment, and anticipate further state communications. The combination of renewed state warnings and a reported wide partial ice failure underscores ongoing hazards on New Hampshire waters as winter conditions fluctuate.