Warm weather causing widespread melting in the area

We have never had a January day this warm - Ever. We hit 55 degrees today. The old record was 40. But with warm weather, comes the cold reality - some things won't stay frozen.

An ice sculpture carved to help ring in the New Year at the Holiday Inn in Detroit Lakes is melting away as fast as ice cream on a hot day.

General Manager Jeff Jasperson says as this sculpture melts away into nothing more than water, it is hard to imagine it was once an elaborate work of art.

Jeff Jasperson – General Manager, Holiday Inn: “The detail was phenomenal, as you can see it has diminished too virtually nothing, you can still make out some of the features.”

This block of ice read Happy New Year and sat on top of the sculpture, and this other one was a champagne glass that now lies on the floor with most of the other features.

Jeff Jasperson: “It has reduced in size about 30%, roughly by the end of today we will expect it to completely deteriorate.”

The ice isn't only melting in Detroit Lakes, here at the Clara Barton ice rink in Fargo there is nearly a half inch of melted water on top of the ice.

Clay Whittlesey – Director of Recreation: “Originally we talked this morning we were going to open and of course as the day goes on we have to kind of monitor and make our decision around 2 o'clock so we can notify our staff, but I think I told you I was here a half hour and there was just a little bit of water around the edges and now when I got here you can see the water is just about covering the whole rink.”

Clay Whittlesey, Director of Recreation for Fargo Parks, grew up in the area and has worked for the park district for nearly 20 years, and this year is far different than any in the past.

Clay Whittlesey: “I don't ever recall a winter like this.”

As the ice drips away on the once jaw dropping sculpture creating pools of water, and the ice rink transforms, looking more like a place to swim instead of a place to skate, I think we can all agree in saying these high temperatures are definitely out of the ordinary.

All warming houses and outdoor skating rinks in Fargo-Moorhead are closed because of the warm weather.

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