Ice always cold at Everett Arena as weather deters opening of outdoor rinks

A frigid December seemed to promise solid ice for outdoor skating this winter after years of unseasonable sogginess.

Like a true New England winter, that warm spell arrived at the end of this week and delayed when skaters could head out onto the crisp, frozen ponds.

The ice at small water bodies, like the ponds at White Park and Beaver Meadow in Concord, remains closed. In the meantime, the skating surface at the indoor Everett Arena is always cold and crisp.

The area will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. until Jan. 2, with the exception of Christmas Day. Experienced and first-time skaters pay a $6 admission fee to access the arena run by the city of Concord.

The free outdoor skating rink at Rollins Park has been open since Tuesday, Dec. 9. The Concord Parks and Rec Department has flooded the area twice to maintain skateable ice.

The city won’t open the ponds at White Park and the Beaver Meadow Golf Course until staff are able to measure 5.5 inches of ice at several locations along the ponds.

Those skating areas remain closed, but with cold temperatures returning Sunday, the parks and recreation department may find safe conditions as early as next week, according to Parks and Recreation Director David Gill.

The department has asked the public to stay off the ponds until they are declared open for use.

State safety officials warn that conditions can be unpredictable under clear, hard ice. Ice thickness may not be uniform across a single body of water. Ice can give way in spurts of warm weather, while underwater currents can prevent a solid surface from forming. Dark snow and thin, clear or honeycombed ice are indicators of weak areas, according to the New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game.

The U.S. Army Cold Regions Research & Engineering Laboratory in Hanover recommends that individuals measure a minimum of six inches of hard ice before travelling over it on foot and eight to ten inches of hard ice for snow machine or All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) use.