It has been a mild winter thus far, and city crews are anxiously awaiting conditions that allow them to begin prepping the city’s outdoor skating rinks for the season! Ideal ice-making requires several inches of frost in the ground and daytime temperatures below freezing, which allows staff to begin continually flooding the city’s four outdoor rinks. A good, skateable sheet of ice can take up to seven days to build, and that is only if residents cooperate by staying off the ice until the rinks are officially open.
Considering the current forecasted temperatures, crews hope to begin outdoor ice rink prep on December 14, with the goal of having them open by Christmas, weather depending of course.
Handke Pit (1133 4th Street NW) is the most popular outdoor rink in town, featuring two rinks with boards, an open skate area and a warming house. Additionally, this year the city is partnering with Spectrum to provide an additional rink with boards, a warming house and lights at the Spectrum athletic fields (10129 181st Avenue NW). The city also maintains two unsupervised general skating rinks in the following neighborhood parks without warming house facilities:
- Mississippi Oaks Park (17998 Elgin Street)
- Riverplace Park (13818 186th Lane)