 This week's stretch of mild weather has forced the Bemidji Parks and Recreation Department to close the city's outdoor skating rinks. Warmer temperatures and the higher angle of the sun have combined to quickly deteriorate the outdoor ice. It may seem early, but this is about the time the outdoor rinks usually shut down for the year. It's actually pretty average. We looked back on the kind of the history going back maybe 20 years or so and found that the average date that we close the rinks is February 27th, so we're actually pretty much in the ballpark. Last year we were able to stay open and farther into March. The latest I've ever seen us kind of open is probably March 8th or so or around the 10th of March. Just as sun gets to that point in the sky where it's just hot. Yeah, a lot of melting going on this week. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.