Barnum Park's Outdoor Ice Rink Now Closed

Winter may not be over yet but March's warmer temperatures have officially closed Barnum Park's outdoor ice rink for the season.

With the warmer weather (Monday's high is expected to hit 53 degrees) melting the ice, the city officially closed the ice rink on Monday. Barricades are now in place to keep skaters, hockey players and perhaps even swimmers away.

In a repeat of last year, the ice rink at Barnum Park wasn't even open for two months this winter, not opening until Jan. 21.

The ice rink was still under water at the beginning of January, after Department of Public Services Director Lauren Wood said rink set-up was delayed due to snow over the Christmas holidays.

The ice rink is typically set up in mid-December. The city maintains the rink until mid-February, at which the rink remains for as long as weather conditions allow.

Even though there's no more outdoor ice skating this season, that doesn't mean temperatures are on their way to balmy. There's a 50 percent chance of snow on Tuesday, the National Weather Services says, with temperatures dipping down to a chilly 20 degrees overnight on Wednesday.

Still, don't put put away those ice skates just yet. Residents can skate year-round at the Birmingham Ice Sports Arena on Lincoln Road.