Pond hockey championships cancelled as warm weather wreaks havoc on Minnesota winter events
The second weekend of the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships is canceled. The organization announced the cancellation Thursday on Facebook, saying the warmer weather makes the ice on Lake Nokomis unplayable.
“Three weeks ago, there was open water on Lake Nokomis. With an extreme cold spell, sufficient ice grew and Opening Weekend was held with some of the best ice we’ve ever had. Unfortunately, that cold weather moved on,” the announcement says.
Golden Weekend teams will receive a guaranteed team spot for the 2025 USPHC, event staff said.
The warm weather is also causing other cancellations. Golden Valley announced its outdoor ice rinks were closed for the season Thursday night and the city is canceling its Winterfest planned for this weekend.
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St. Paul Winter Carnival
The 138th St. Paul Winter Carnival kicked off Thursday with more than 50 events planned for its 10-day run. Organizers say despite forecasts for above-freezing temperatures, all St. Paul Winter Carnival events will continue as scheduled.
The carnival's president, Lisa Jacobson, said she sees the warm weather as a positive.
“I think more people will come, so we’re excited about that. But we’re not planning to cancel anything just because we're experiencing springlike weather,” she said. “We feel like it’s a win.”
Jacobson says 18 professional snow-carving teams are competing at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds this weekend, and ice sculptures will soon be on display in Rice Park.
“Our ice carvers will work in the night, which is when it’s coldest,” Jacobson said. “And the ice carvings will last as long as they last.”
The ice and snow designs will be available for viewing through Feb. 4 — or until they melt.
Ice fishing tournaments go virtual
Unsafe ice conditions are causing a huge ice fishing tournament in north-central Minnesota to go semi-virtual.
The Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza usually draws about 10,000 anglers to Gull Lake every year. But this year’s unseasonably warm weather has created unsafe ice conditions on many Minnesota lakes.
Contest organizers say the event will be held on Feb. 3, but with a hybrid model. Participants can fish on multiple lakes in the Brainerd area and upload a photo of their catch using an online app called Fish Donkey.
In a news release, organizers said it’s crucial to prioritize safety and flexibility in light of the unprecedented ice conditions. The ice fishing contest used a similar virtual model in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
MPR News staff Lisa Ryan, Mathew Holding Eagle III, Kirsti Marohn and Anna Haecherl contributed to this report.