Warm weather a challenge for Regina's outdoor rinks

Many people are welcoming the mild winter weather in Regina, but it is creating some challenges for the city’s outdoor rinks.

With temperatures above zero, all 61 locations are subject to melting, and when ice melts, it’s not so easy to restore given the current weather.

“We may see some adverse conditions on the ice because we’re not flooding but that’s only because with the warm conditions our water isn’t freezing as quickly as we’d like it to be,” said Ray Morgan, the city’s director of parks and open space.

For now, he said there is a pretty thick layer of ice built up so rinks can withstand some melting.

“We, right now, have a good base in there where it’s three to five inches of ice, so we’re not going to be hitting any gravel or concrete of that sort anytime soon,” Morgan said.

However, plus-temperatures over an extended period could see further breakdown of the where it could create slushy conditions. Morgan guessed it would take about five days of above zero weather. If it comes to that, or if concrete or gravel begins to show, he said the city always has the option of shutting the facility down until things improve.

Snowbuster Program Canceled

The city has decided to cancel its Snowbuster program for 2016 because of warm temperatures and minimal snowfall.

The campaign asked residents to nominate volunteers who not only cleared their own driveways and sidewalks, but also their neighbours’. A grand prize of a new snow blower would be awarded as part of the program, which launched in 2013.

The city said the campaign takes up significant resources and will revisit the program in the fall.