CHICAGO — It may not have felt like December for most of the month so far, but the city's public, outdoor skating rinks have weathered this winter's modest temperatures to bring Chicagoans a bit of holiday cheer.
Though last week's temperatures approached record highs — and brought significant amounts of rain — the park district's seven outdoor rinks have been operating almost every day since their opening day on Nov. 27.
"It's been a process [to stay open]," said Steven Humphrey, general manager of the rink at Warren Park, 6601 N. Western Ave. "The rain and temperatures have been a double-edged sword."
(The park district technically has eight outdoor rinks, not including Millennium Park, which is run by the city's Department of Cultural Affairs. One rink, at Mt. Greenwood Park, has yet to open. The park district also runs two indoor rinks: one in Morgan Park and one in North Center.)
CHECK OUT OUR GUIDE TO THE CITY'S ICE RINKS
Of those open rinks, six have been closed for three-and-a-quarter days each since opening in late November, according to the Chicago Park District.
The ice skating ribbon at Maggie Daley Park, 337 E. Randolph St., was supposed to open two weeks before the rest of the city's rinks, but actually opened on Nov. 27 along with the rest of the rinks. Since then, it has been closed 4 times out of 24 possible days, accord to Zvez Kubat, spokeswoman for the parks district.
Kubat said the optimal temperature for the outdoor rinks is 45 degrees, though some rinks can sustain temperatures around 50 degrees. Last week saw temperatures well above 50 degrees on consecutive days.
"They're making an extra effort to keep rinks open, especially around the holidays," said Kubat, referring to the employees who manage Chicago's public outdoor rinks.
Most rinks were closed Sunday, when 60-plus-degree temperatures and rain storms pummeled the city. Rain is particularly harmful to rinks because it erodes the top layers of ice, said Randy Bolin, who manages the McKinley Park Ice Rink, 2210 W. Pershing Rd.
"It was more like April that day," Bolin said of Sunday. "Luckily, the sun wasn't out a lot."
To keep ice rinks operational, Humphrey said his crews have been constantly resurfacing and put the "chillers" on full blast. The chillers are piping systems that cool the ground beneath the rink, keeping it cool enough to house ice.
(Wentworth said that's likely why Wicker Park's community-built rink hasn't frozen yet: There are no chillers and it's resting on a frost-free lawn.)
Still, skating conditions have been less than optimal, despite for the crews' best efforts.
"A lot of private rentals have canceled," Humphrey said. "I understand. They know the weather has been a challenge for us."
The Wentworth Park ice rink, 5625 S. Mobile Ave., has only had to close one day, and that was because their Zamboni broke down, said general manager Joe Sarna.
"We've had a couple puddles on the rink," he said. "It isn't slowing people down."
The Midway Plaisance skating rink, 1130 Midway Plaisance North, was closed for a few days. April Aldridge, general manager, said they're still recovering from the weekend's warm weather and rain.
The rink hadn't refrozen by Monday, she said. It was back in working order Tuesday, though no one showed up, she said.
"The guys laid down more water," she said. "It froze enough to skate at your own risk."
It looks like the rinks will have smooth sailing, at least for the next few days, as temperatures will hover near freezing before it warms up again with possible rain, according to the National Weather Service.
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