The return of warmer, spring-like weather has been on the minds of many for months, and it is finally here.
With the warmer temperatures comes a couple caveats, namely the closure of the outdoor skating rinks.
Last week the Town closed outdoor skating rinks due to deteriorating conditions brought on by the spring-like weather.
The warm temperatures also put an early end to the ice slides, which after one warm weekend was removed when it deemed no longer safe to play on.
The skating rinks on the lake were kept open, but crews were “keeping an eye on the condition.”
“As Mother Nature continues to bless us with warm spring-like temperatures, it’s creating some issues for our lake skating rinks,” the Town said.
Over the last week, the area has seen a number of days where the temperature was above 0C, causing the melting of snow, ice and the lake.
On March 2, the Town made the decision to close the lake rinks early.
Originally the Town was planning to close the rinks Wednesday morning.
“After some reassessment [sic], our team has determined that the lake rinks will need to be closed this morning, Tue., March 2, due to poor and deteriorating ice conditions.”
The gate providing access to the lake will remain open until 7 a.m. on March 3.
The Town only monitors the ice conditions near Lakeshore for the purposes of the skating rinks. Ice conditions further out on the lake are not monitored by the Town, and those accessing the lake further out do so at their own risk, the Town has said.
The “Take It Off” program requires ice fishers to remove their huts and ice fishing equipment before March 31.
This program was put into place to protect the environment and ensure safety of those using the lake year-round.
With the rapidly warming temperatures, anglers may want to remove their huts sooner rather than later, as the day time high is expected to reach 8C by the end of the week.