Temperatures this week soared to a high of 78 degrees, as much as 15 to 20 degrees above the average for this time of year.
DALLAS — The holiday decorations, ice, and ornaments may set the stage for winter, but in North Texas, it certainly doesn’t feel like the season.
Temperatures this week soared to a high of 78 degrees, as much as 15 to 20 degrees above the average for this time of year. Despite the unseasonable warmth, some local ice rinks are still open for skating — much to the surprise of visitors.
“We get a lot of questions for sure,” said Damon Moore, who runs the ice rink at the Omni Dallas Hotel.
Many skaters didn’t expect the winter attraction to still be operational.
“Were you surprised that this was open given the weather?” WFAA’s Sydney Persing asked a skater.
“Yeah!” she replied.
The Omni rink stays frozen thanks to thick cooling panels installed beneath the ice, which are powered by heavy-duty generators.
“The building itself does a great job of hiding the sun for us,” Moore explained. “Most days at noon, the sun’s off the ice.”
The tall structure of the Omni keeps the rink shaded, a luxury not all North Texas rinks enjoy.
For Karen Pratt, general manager of the Peace Plaza Ice Rink in Grapevine, the warm weather has posed insurmountable challenges.
“The ice is just impossible to maintain,” she said, adding that her rink had to cancel reservations for 400 skaters over the weekend. Similarly, the rink in Rowlett was forced to close for two days.
Pratt offered a hopeful plea for colder weather.
“Please pray for colder weather,” she said.
“Santa’s gonna come here eventually,” Moore joked. “Might as well make it cold for him.”