The Town of Wilton closed its ice skating rink at Kineowatha Park due to fluctuating temperatures in the region. Pictured is Chevy Rundlett of Wilton at the Kineowatha Park ice skating rink Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021. File photo/Livermore Falls Advertiser
REGION — The Franklin County region has seen a major fluctuation in temperatures in the last month. There have been freezing rains, sunny days and sudden snow storms; days with -2 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures to 64 degrees Fahrenheit and back to below 0 in just over two weeks.
The whiplashing weather has had a big impact on some of the businesses and winter activities in the region.
At Kineowatha Park, the Wilton Parks and Recreation Department has had to permanently close the outdoor ice skating rink for the season after temporary closures throughout February, Parks and Recreation Department Director Frank Donald said Feb. 24.
The rink temporarily closed on Feb. 22 due to the warm weather. Days later, Donald said people were able to get back on the rink, though he didn’t formally announce it was back up and running.
On Feb. 25, the Parks and Recreation Department announced the rink would be closed for the remainder of the season.
Donald says weather like this happens every few years, which makes it “tough” for the department to manage the town’s winter activities.
The fluctuation in weather, which in some cases manifested suddenly, has complicated Donald’s ability to predict and inform the town when the rink will be open or closed.
He was hoping that the rink would be open for all of the February break while kids are out of school — one of the Kineowatha rink’s “biggest weeks.”
“The biggest frustration is to not be able to let people know [and] not being able to have it available because people really look forward to it,” Donald said.
At Mt. Blue State Park, the “recent rains” have impacted the ski and snow mobile trails. The trails are “hard packed and icy and in poor condition,” according to the park’s voice message.
The annual sled dog races at Sandy River Farms have also been put on hold due to the fluctuating weather. The races were schedule for Feb. 26 and 27. But due to warmer weather, then rain, then a sudden snow fall, the Turners, who oversee the races, were not able to prepare the land in time.
The races have been rescheduled for March 12 and 13.
The Morning Sentinel recently reported that a lack of snowfall in Central Maine delayed the start of snowmobiling season by six weeks. And now, that season is coming to a premature end due to recent rains that make it harder to maintain the trails.
Scientific studies show that fluctuating winter weather will become more prevalent as climate change intensifies. And it’s clear that the impacts of climate change have already manifested in the region.
In some ways, it’s felt like a fairly cold winter with 20 below Fahrenheit mornings. But this winter is, in fact, only the 24th coldest of the last 82 years, according to News Center Maine Meteorologist Keith Carson.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America found it’s really our perception of cold weather that has changed — convincing us the baseline of cold winters is much higher than it is as we gradually shift to a warmer climate.
Ultimately, one thing is clear: strap on those ice skates while you still have the chance.
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