BOZEMAN — Usually, during the last week of the year, outdoor ice rinks around Bozeman are made.
However, with this warmer weather, local rinks like the one at Beall Park, Southside Park, and Bogert Park have not been open to area skaters.
"Unfortunately, this season, as you can see, there's no ice," said local Will Crane at Beall Park. "We're looking forward to ice, there's just none yet."
Crane said he remembers skating a few times at Beall Park last January.
"Last year. We had some ice already, but it went pretty quickly," he said. "Hopefully this year we'll get it, and it will stick for the rest of the season."
Bozeman's outdoor ice rinks are delayed by warm weather
Another local, Tana Meyer, who's lived in Bozeman for six years, said she often skates at Beall Park.
"Usually, there are people out here playing hockey, and there's families skating around," explained Meyer.
She added that this has been a really "weird winter" with a lack of snow and warmer temperatures.
Locals Savannah Cox and Nolan Mabie have been enjoying indoor activities like bowling so far this winter.
"And we haven't been ice skating once this year," said Cox.
Park's Assistant Superintendent, Doug Eisenman, said they usually aim to get ice rinks set up before Christmas, but in previous years, they haven't been able to make ice until after the first of January.
"It looks like it's going to be in the 40s for the next week or so," said Eisenman. "We won't be able to flood anything for a while."
He added that they need a stretch of below-freezing temperatures to start making the outdoor rinks.
Specifically, the Beall and Southside Park rinks usually take longer to make.
"On the grass fields, we need a few days of really cold temperatures so the ground will freeze," he explained. "High temperatures need to stay out of the 40s like we've been having."
In the meantime, Eisenman said there are two open indoor rinks at the Fairgrounds.
