Springtime ‘Ice Out’ guessing game at Vermont pond ends earlier than ever before

‘Ice Out’ gamble ends earlier than ever in Vt.

WEST DANVILLE, Vt. — The ice is “out” earlier than ever at a Vermont pond where folks bet on the arrival of spring.

The Joe’s Pond Ice Out sells $1 chances for people to pick the exact date and time that a 65-pound cinder block will fall in the water each spring.

The game at the pond in West Danville ended at 2:46 p.m. Monday. That’s the earliest since the guessing game began in 1988.

More than 11,500 tickets were bought. But the postmark deadline for mailed entries was April 1 and some might not have arrived yet, so a winner hasn’t been declared.