As winter wanes and temperatures fluctuate, ice begins to melt.
However the outdoor skating rink at Victoria Park in London remains open. Wayne Starling is the Facility Operator at Victoria Park he says “as long as temperatures stay around +5 the ice will be fine for the day, but if temperatures rise to +10 the rink will close for a bit during the afternoon and open up later in the evening.”
Starling says “the longer the sun hits the ice the more the ice melts, but when the sun goes down the ice hardens back up quite quickly.”
He says usually more skaters come out as the temperatures climb to around zero. He says “if you’re going to skate over the next week and a half come out before 2 o’clock in the afternoon or after the sun goes down for best skating quality.”
The skating rink at Victoria Park is open daily from 10 am to 10 pm. Starling says the outdoor rink is set to close on Sunday March 22nd which is the last day of the March Break.
Meanwhile many backyard rinks are continuing to soften as the warmer temperatures stick with us in the Forest city. Elaine Campbell and her family maintain the ice on their pond to use for skating each winter. Campbell advises anyone skating on a pond to be careful as the temperatures stay warm.
Campbell says “allow an adult to check over the ice for any cracks before skating, and look for slushy sections as they can become a hazard.” She says “the edges of ponds can be thin ice and skaters should stay away from them if possible.”
Campbell also adds that it is risky to skate or walk on any ice when temperatures are above about 5 degrees. She says “this week should be a beautiful week to skate as temperatures aren’t too high, and the ice hasn’t had enough time to properly melt.”