NAPERVILLE, IL — The Naperville Park District’s sledding hills and ice rinks are a fun go-to destination in winter, but they have yet to open in 2020. The reason they’ve remained closed has nothing to do with the pandemic and everything to do with the weather, according to a recent news release from the park district.
The ice rinks typically open Dec. 15, but they are not refrigerated. Thus, they require three to five consecutive days of below freezing weather and overnight temperatures in the teens to function properly.
The sledding hills and snowboard hill require a minimum of 2 inches of snow in order to open and so far snow has been in short supply this season.
“I understand that in the midst of the pandemic, residents are looking for increasingly more activities to enjoy outdoors,” Park District Executive Director Ray McGury said in the news release. “Although the District currently doesn’t have refrigerated ice, this is something we can explore for the future as the last few winters have provided less than favorable conditions for ice skating.”
Picture Source: Renee Schiavone/Patch
