Clarissa Kell | Daily Press Escanaba Parks and Recreation Director Kim Peterson points toward where the Escanaba ice rink is usually located at the Catherine Bonifas Civic Center in Escanaba Monday. The lack of single digit weather for more than a couple days has caused a delay in two area ice rinks.

ESCANABA — Warm weather this winter has caused a delay in opening the Escanaba and Gladstone ice rinks. Both Escanaba and Gladstone build and maintain an outdoor neighborhood ice rink — Escanaba’s rink is located next to the Catherine Bonifas Civic Center and Gladstone’s rink is next to the Gladstone beach.

“We need at least one cold week of single digit weather to make ice, and we haven’t had that,” Kim Peterson, Escanaba parks and recreation director, said. “Plus the ground had no frost this year for us to start making ice — so the weather has been really weird.”

She explained there is a need for a layer of coldness on the ground, supplied by the frost within the ground, coupled with a week of single digit weather to begin spraying water at the ice rink to create ice.

The ice rink isn’t just flooded in one day, but built up layer by layer over a week of spraying, according to Peterson.

Nicole Sanderson, Gladstone parks and recreation director, explained warmer weather and high water levels on Lake Michigan have caused a delay in ice making in Gladstone.

“The ground is not freezing, and until the ground is freezing we cannot make ice,” she said.

According to Sanderson, the department did try two to three times to start building ice layers, but every time the water just soaked into the ground.

She said on the flip side, the warmer weather has been great for snow and things have been going great at the John and Melissa Besse Sports Park.

Although everything is dependent on the weather and the outlook doesn’t look bright, Peterson said she is still hopeful for some skating time this year.

“I looked at the weather for the next two weeks and it’s like, the lowest is in the 20s and the highs are in the 30s and 40s. So the next two weeks don’t even look good,” she said.

She added her department will continue to look for colder weather on the horizon because they want people to be able to enjoy the free, fun outdoor activity with their families.

According to Sanderson, the Gladstone ice rink may not open this year.

“We’re getting to the point where we’ll have to make a decision to open or not,” she said.

Typically the ice rink closes at the end of February.

If the department can get the rink up and running the first week of February, then there would be about three weeks of skating, which Sanderson said would make constructing a rink worthwhile.

However, if there isn’t a cold snap until mid-February, then the rink probably won’t open, Sanderson said.

“We’re getting real close that it wouldn’t be worth it,” she said.

Although both rinks may or may not open this winter season, when they are open they both have ice skates available to loan out for those wanting to enjoy the activity.

Peterson said the skates available at the Escanaba rink were bought through a grant provided by Public Health, Delta and Menominee Counties.

With around 80 pairs, from adult to youth sizes, Peterson said they’re encouraging families to skate together for a free winter activity.

Sanderson said Gladstone has about 50 pairs of ice skates in all different sizes.

Last year was the first year the Escanaba rink was located at the Civic Center.

In past years, Escanaba had two ice rinks, located at Royce Park and Webster Elementary School, according to Peterson.

She explained combining the resources of building and maintaining two rinks and moving to one location was a part of the department’s five-year recreation plan.

The Gladstone rink used to be located next to the Jones Elementary School, then moved to its current location next to the beach two years ago.

According to Sanderson, a trade was made between the Gladstone School District and the city. The school district received the building used as the warming hut, which was on the school’s property, and the city received the school’s old bus garage. The bus garage is the Gladstone Parks and Recreation Department’s office now.

Sanderson said the ice rink was then moved next to the beach house to provide bathrooms, a place for warming and still be located near downtown Gladstone.

The Gladstone rink may move to a new location next year. The John and Melissa Besse Sports Park is a potential new location.