Ice-skating rink up and gliding; week leading up to Christmas may be chilly

Mark Hughes Cobb, The Tuscaloosa News
·3 min read

Though its planned November opening was slightly delayed by compressor problems within the chiller, the ice-skating rink at Holidays in the Plaza in downtown Tuscaloosa has been up and gliding since.

"Thankfully, we’ve been open the expected amount of days this season thanks to Kay (Day) and her great team in arts and entertainment," said Richard Rush, executive director of strategic communications for the city of Tuscaloosa, which last year moved the ice-skating rink, and its concurrent One Place fundraiser the Tinsel Trail, featuring more than 250 lavishly decorated trees, to downtown's 5-acre Government Plaza.

Warmer than usual December days haven't always led to the optimum skating conditions, but evenings have been more conducive. This Dec. 3, Tuscaloosa temperatures rose into the 70s, with lows in the low 50s; then on Dec. 6, 7, 8 and 9, highs rose near 80, with lows near 60.

Following rains earlier this week, highs dropped back to the low 60s, but lows didn't vary much from there. Comparisons with past Decembers show variations, though with generally similar spikes and valleys, undulating like a sine wave.

Dec 15, 2022; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Kynlei Parsons, 8, enjoys the ice rink which is part of the Holidays on the Plaza at Government Plaza in Tuscaloosa.
Dec 15, 2022; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Kynlei Parsons, 8, enjoys the ice rink which is part of the Holidays on the Plaza at Government Plaza in Tuscaloosa.

Ideal conditions for a good skating day " … would be for an overcast sky and temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit," said Day, the director of arts and entertainment for the city. "For evening sessions, the best conditions are after 4 p.m., and below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s when the rink is no longer in the direct sunlight."

Once engineers brought the one of two compressors that wasn't fully functioning back up to speed — employee skate night opening was planned for Nov. 21, but due to the issue, the rink actually opened to the public Nov. 23 — the rink has been better able to compensate for warmer days.

"Generally, the evening when it cools down is best, but that being said, the weather leading up to Christmas is supposed to cool, lending itself to really good skating conditions over the next few weeks," Rush said.

Tuscaloosa forecasts suggest 55 high, 38 low for Friday; 50 high, 26 low for Saturday; 48 high, 27 low for Sunday; 51 high, 38 low for Monday; 56 high, 33 low for Tuesday; 51 high, 34 low for Wednesday; 44 high, 14 low for Thursday; and 28 high, 18 low for Friday, Dec. 23. Ice-skating will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. For a full calendar of days and hours, see www.holidaysontheplaza.com/schedule.

Dec 15, 2022; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Skaters enjoy the ice rink which is part of the Holidays on the Plaza at Government Plaza in Tuscaloosa.
Dec 15, 2022; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Skaters enjoy the ice rink which is part of the Holidays on the Plaza at Government Plaza in Tuscaloosa.

Daily passes, including skate rental, are $15. A season pass is $85. Tuesdays will be Family Skate Day, when passes go down to $12 each. Retired and active duty military pay $12. On Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the last day of the event, Jan. 16, passes will be $10.

From 4-7 p.m. Friday, the Tinsel Trail will host Family Night. Festivities will include arts and crafts, refreshments and a visit from Santa.

The Tinsel Trail is free to walk any time of the day or night through Jan. 1. Government Plaza is at 2106 Sixth St. in downtown Tuscaloosa. For more, see www.holidaysontheplaza.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Ice-skating rink up and gliding; week leading up to Christmas may be cool