Above Freezing Temps a Boon for Roseville Skating OVAL

As the Twin Cities' temperatures have hovered in the 30s this week with Wednesday's forecast calling for a high near 40 degrees Fahrenheit, at least one outdoor winter venue in Roseville is reaping the benefit of the warm front: The John Rose OVAL.

While neighborhood skating rinks are currently unuseable, the 110,000 square-foot refrigerated OVAL (North America's largest sheet of refrigerarted ice) is boasting a pick-up in skating traffic.

The number of skaters through the first 12 days of December is up about 35 percent compared with the same period a year ago, said Brad Tullberg, Roseville Skating Center superintendent. There were 1,396 skaters last year versus 1,903 this year, according to OVAL statistics.

"With the warm weather, really the only option is refrigerated rinks like ours," Tullberg told Roseville Patch.

Each year, the OVAL draws about 25,000 skaters. This fall it opened for business on Nov. 11 and is scheduled, weather permitting, to remain open until early March, Tullberg said.  The annual utility bill to keep the ice cold is about $80,000, he said.

Cost to skate is $5.50 per two-hour session. For complete information on the OVAL and its schedule go to the OVAL web site.