Warm weather thwarts Twin Cities winter events

Broomball players accustomed to playing on Minneapolis rinks and ice climbers in Pine County are among the state's outdoor enthusiasts cursing the higher-than-normal temperatures this winter across Minnesota.

Temperatures in December have so far been about 14 degrees warmer than average, according to MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner.

That warmer weather has led to the cancellation of some planned winter events like the Sandstone Ice Festival, which was expected to draw hundreds of ice climbers to parks near Sandstone, Minn. this weekend.

Organizer Tony Vavricka said there's usually natural ice formed on the rocks at the Pine County facilities by Thanksgiving weekend, but that a warm autumn has delayed icy conditions that are ideal for climbing.

"We've had some warm days, but we've always had enough ice to actually have the festival up there," Vavricka said. "You could kind of see it coming though."

Ice festival organizers are regrouping for a 2016 event. And dedicated ice climbers still have the Duluth Ice and Mixed Festival to look forward to at the end of February.

Organizers for two pond hockey tournaments planned in the state this winter are also watching the thermometer closely. The U.S. Pond Hockey Championships are expected to draw hundreds of teams to Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis from Jan. 14-17. But because of warm weather, the lake is not yet iced over.

Tournament spokesperson Jim Dahline said organizers hope for about a dozen inches of solid ice so they can use heavy equipment out on the lake. They do have backup plans in case the lake doesn't get that much ice.

"We're going to be looking next week," Dahlin said. "We really want to be sure that our participants who do travel in from 40 different states, have enough time to understand exactly what things are looking like."

None of the 47 Minneapolis city rinks currently have sufficient ice to open at the point. City officials say it takes at least 10 days of below-freezing temperatures to create sufficiently thick ice. The start of adult broomball leagues in the city has been pushed back a week to Dec. 27. None of St. Paul's outdoor rinks are open yet either.

DNR officials on Thursday also warned recreational users like ice anglers, snowmobilers and skiers to be cautious on partially or even fully covered lakes, especially those that are aerated, which can lead to thin ice in places.

Not all outdoor activities are dependent just on the weather. Afton Alps ski resort in Hastings was forced to close this week due to rainy and warm conditions, but the resort is expect to reopen on Friday using machine-made snow, said marketing director Pam Hoye.

"All of our programming is up and running, it's been business as usual," Hoye said. "I would say there hasn't been a significant impact, we're just working with the elements and what we have with our incredible snow-making abilities."

Hoye said the resort spent $10 million just three years ago to upgrade their snow-making machinery.

But Vavricka and others dependent on a cold climate for recreation are still looking forward to a cold snap.

"Hopefully it will change," Vavricka said. "Hopefully we'll get some cold weather here for a couple months in Minnesota, and we'll be able to enjoy the outdoor sports."