The Oakland County Sheriff’s Department is warning Lake Orion residents that many of the area’s lakes and ponds are just now starting to develop a thin layer of ice. This can be deceiving and possibly deadly for persons who venture out from shore. The Sheriff says, depending on weather conditions, it may actually take weeks of cold weather for safe ice to form. Deputies recommend five inches of solid clear ice for general foot traffic such as ice skaters and fishermen; eight inches for snowmobiles and off-road vehicles.