Mild temps again disrupt winter events in MN

Mild winter again wreaks havoc with ice events

After a brief cold stretch, temps have again turned mild in Minnesota, leading to more event cancellations.

(FOX 9) - Mother Nature didn’t help much during the construction of this year’s Ice Castles, and now she could be speeding up the teardown.

The frozen complex in Maple Grove opened nearly two weeks behind schedule, and now a warm 7-day forecast has brought more uncertainty.

"This is the weirdest winter I’ve ever experienced," event manager Brady Murphy said on Sunday. "The weather outside doesn’t exactly scream fun winter activities."

Visitors rushed to check out the castles on Sunday, admitting they don’t think the structure will be standing for much longer.

A typical season would run until mid-March, with the grounds closed for maintenance on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. However, anticipating a shorter season this year, organizers will have the castles open 7 days a week, for as long as they safely can.

"I can assure you, for now and for the foreseeable future, we are perfectly safe, and really not losing much castle," Murphy said.

Meanwhile, in Minneapolis and several surrounding suburbs, ice skaters are already out of luck. Soft ice, with a layer of water on top, has forced many park systems to close their outdoor rinks, less than a month after opening them.

"The lack of cold weather makes me sad," skater Matthew Gullickson told FOX 9. "This winter‘s been pretty crazy. I’m worried that it’s a sign of winters to come; that we can’t necessarily depend on cold conditions and snow."