EDMONTON- An unseasonably warm stretch of February is taking its toll on some of Edmonton’s winter attractions and is already threatening to shut one down early.
The balmy conditions topped out at 9.1C Tuesday; the temperature is expected to drop by Wednesday.
Edmonton’s Ice Castle is on display for the first time in Alberta’s capital.
Organizers of the exhibit, located in Hawrelak Park, are already acknowledging Mother Nature will likely affect its schedule.
The Ice Castle was to stay open until the end of February, but on Tuesday, organizers issued a release to say an early closure is likely.
READ MORE: Warm weather challenging winter activities in Edmonton
READ MORE: Massive ‘Narnia-like’ ice castle now open in Hawrelak Park
The ice rink at Hawrelak Park was closed Tuesday and a sign indicated conditions were not safe enough to leave it open. The city said it will reassess the ice conditions day by day.
The popular Silver Skate Festival is scheduled to kick off its 2016 program at the rink on Friday and run until Feb. 21.
Organizers said the warm stretch isn’t ideal but that they’re not overly concerned it will impact the events.
“It’s not the best of circumstances but it’s only Tuesday, Feb. 9,” festival producer Erin Di Loreto said. “All we need is a good cold snap to freeze it (the ice) up.”
Di Loreto said the ice is not in bad shape considering the weather and that the events centred around ice actually take place at the tail end of the festival.
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