Detroit's Clark Park ice rink opening delayed after mild start to winter

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Normally the ice rink at Clark Park in southwest Detroit would have opened by now. 

But due to the rain and the warm weather around Christmas, that start date has been pushed back for about a week and a half.

While many of us didn't mind last week's warm up with temperatures right around 50 degrees, those who work and volunteer at the Clark Park coalition's outdoor ice rink the unusually warm December, threw them for a loop.

"it was too much rain and literally the ice was just like a puddle -  'Lake Clark Park.' So if you would have seen it yesterday it was just solid water," said Anthony Benavides, Clark Park Coalition executive director.

For now, Benavides and other volunteers are monitoring the ice and testing it out on Clark Street near I-75 in southwest Detroit. They are making sure it isn't too soft for skaters.

"It is no fun skating in the rain and you can't skate in the soft ice either, you'll ruin the ice," he said.

So while most of us want the unusually warm temperatures to stick around, these guys are telling us to chill out - but not to worry. Their first open skate is on Thursday. 

"Now the cold weather is coming in, so we are happy about that," he said. "Other people aren't so happy but at Clark Park we are happy to see the cold. So we are getting ready for season ahead of us."

To learn more about the Clark Park Coalition and the programs they offer for young residents year-round, click here.