River Island Park Ice Rink Waiting on Weather

River Island Park's skate rink was supposed to open Sunday, but unseasonably balmy weather has stymied ice production.

"The weather has not been with us, that's for sure," said Woonsocket Highway Director Rick Lambert on Monday, a rainy 45-degree day that followed a 63-degree Sunday. Right now, he said, the DPW worker at the rink is supposed to keep people off the rink.

Lambert said the city uses a chiller, a grid of plastic tubes laid out over the rink area each year to help cool water into skate-able ice. The chiller pumps about 800 gallons of glycol through the tubes, and when it comes back to the machine, it tries to maintain the temperature at 10 degrees. That's tough with an outdoor rink   

In other cities, Lambert said, there's a permanent layer of cement that helps keep the water cool. In Woonsocket, they're just working with the chiller that's rolled out each year at the park. To prevent skates from nicking up the ice too much, Lambert's men need to make a 1.5 - 2-inch layer of ice, which doesn't happen at near-spring temperatures.

"We need mother nature to cooperate a little bit with some cold weather," Lambert said.

Once the weather allows the ice to set, the rink will be open 1-9 p.m., seven days a week. There will be free skating and free skate rental and a concession stand will be open on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Proceeds will benefit the Parks Summer Programs.