My father used to cross country ski to work on the worst winter days. Sometimes he’d go on a drift right over stuck cars. Unexcused absences just weren’t a thing back then.
People wait for the major river separating Minnesota and Wisconsin to freeze up so they can drive across the frozen surface to their respective jobs and save 15 minutes on the commute via the bridges. It's a popular thing to do especially for Andersen Windows workers.
I feel that’s much less common now that the new bridge is in place; the old Stillwater bridge would often be broken or jammed up with traffic.
FWIW it's the Mississippi, but your description is probably more valuable given your point. (Though I think it's wild that people drive across the Mississippi, and I grew up just southeast of there in Rochester!)
Actually it sounds like he's referring to the St. Croix River. Andersen Windows is/was located in/near Stillwater.
Oh hey, I'd clean forgotten about that one! Thanks for pointing that out!