Warm weather melts opening of winter plaza
Mayor Martin J. Walsh questioned if climate change was to blame for the last-hour cancellation of yesterday's grand opening of Boston Winter, a joint venture by the city and Boston Garden Development Co. to transform City Hall plaza into a winter wonderland of activities and holiday market.
Unseasonably warm temperatures and high humidity left Rink Management Services unable to adequately prepare the ice for the centerpiece 11,000-square-foot outdoor skating path winding around the plaza, according to Boston Garden Development president Amy Latimer.
“Warm weather in December (climate change?) caused @CHP_Boston ice skating path to melt, postponing today's opening. Sad!” Walsh tweeted.
The temperature in Boston hit 51 degrees yesterday, with today's high expected to be 45 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Taunton. The record high for yesterday was set in 1932, when the mercury hit 65 degrees.
The grand opening has been rescheduled for Wednesday. It still was unclear yesterday whether portions of Boston Winter would open before then, including the 42 European-styled shopping “chalets” and other ticketed attractions.
“This week couldn't have been a worse week from a weather standpoint to try to build the ice,” Latimer said. “We started to lay down the rink earlier this week to get everything ready to start to make ice, and then we had two days of rain and high humidity, and humidity affects our ability to make ice. We didn't think the ice was in a good condition from a skating and safety point.”