Balmy weather and snow has kept skaters off Occom Pond for all but three days this season, but there may be relief in site for winter sports enthusiasts.
While Grounds Manager Robert Thebodo hopes to open the pond as soon as possible, an "overwhelming concern for safety" is the reason why the pond remains closed.
A cold spell this weekend may help -- daytime temperatures below 20 degrees are best for maintaining the skating surface -- but warm and rainy weather in the meantime is likely to hinder pond maintenance.
A lack of sufficient ice and the need to use equipment elsewhere around campus to clear paths after heavy snowfalls have delayed the opening of the pond.
The pond traditionally opens for skating between Christmas week and mid-January, although the pond has been open as early as Thanksgiving in previous years.
Although crews have begun working to prepare the pond, "we did not have enough ice recently to put small equipment out there," Thebodo said.
"In the last few days, we've taken measures to flood the pond so the snow wouldn't be as much of a problem, and we swept and blew snow off," he said.
The equipment used to clear the pond has frequently been needed this term for snow removal in other areas around campus, such as highly trafficked sidewalks.
Occom Pond is maintained by L&M Service Contractors, an outside contractor.
Thebodo uses the American Pulpwood Association's scale to determine safe ice thickness. "Once we've reached six inches of black pond ice, then we are confident that we can put small equipment out there," Thebodo said.
Last year, a truck that went into the pond suffered $15,000 in damage.
Currently, there are six inches of snow ice covering the pond -- not enough to support equipment weighing over two tons."Once we have eight to ten inches we can put trucks out there," said Thebodo.
"If people are looking for an alternative, don't go near the river," he advised, saying that it is not a safe surface. He suggested that students instead skate inside at Thompson Arena.
"We're doing our best," Thebodo said. "As soon as we've got cold temperatures, we'll start planing" the rough ice.
The popular Polar Bear Swim at the pond, an annual Winter Carnival event, was cancelled last year due to inclement weather.
But "unless there is a weather issue, we should be able to pull it off" this year, Thebodo said.
