Rinks have not yet officially opened for 2021. Manor Pond is frozen and skating can take place, but skaters are reminded that no lake ice is ever completely safe and parents and older children should review ice safety and rescue procedures before going on any lake ice.
Due to the lack of a deep frost, public works crews have not been able to flood outdoor ice rinks as of January 2021. Public Works Director Larry Brown explains the situation of the rinks:
"Unfortunately, it takes a deep layer of frost in the ground to form ice on gravel/grass surfaces. To date, we have not had enough frost to support the maintenance equipment without rutting up the surface while performing flooding of the rink. The water drawn from hydrants and supplied from groundwater is pumped out the wells at 55 degrees F. If there is not a sufficient depth of frost, the water we place depletes the frost layer even further; the water is simply absorbed into the ground. Typically, we need at least one week of temps near zero to form good ice. We simply have not had that. We have cleared the rinks and are lightly saturating the soil, in hopes of driving the frost down further, now that temps are starting to drop. Once we have a good layer of frost, weather providing, we will start a full-fledged flooding operation."
Weather/temp record as kept by NOAA Chanhassen
Rink Locations (shelters closed for 2021):
Cathcart Park – 26655 W 62nd; hockey boards
Manor Park – 20630 Manor Rd; free skate rink on the pond
When outdoor rinks are not available, some cities have indoor facilities that are open to the public:
- Braemar Arena, Edina
- Chaska Community Center
- Eden Prairie Community Center
- Hopkins Pavilion
- Minnetonka Ice Arena
- Plymouth Ice Center
- Pond Arena, Minnetrista
- Thaler Arena, Mound
- Victoria Ice Center
- Waconia Ice Arena