The Bryant Park Ice Rink closed early on Sunday due to unseasonably warmer weather, as the ice began to melt shortly after the rink’s official opening. “With the mild weather on Sunday, The Pond was forced to close early (around 1 pm) as the ice began to melt and became unsafe for the skaters,” AMNY reports.
This is bad news for the “winter wonderland in the heart of Manhattan”, which is hosting their Grand Opening Celebration today “featuring Surya Bonaly, Michael Weiss, Nancy Kerrigan, The Haydenettes, Ice Theatre of New York, and special musical performance by The Blue Vipers of Brooklyn” from 12:30 – 1:30pm. The rink is located between 40th and 42nd Streets and 5th and 6th Avenues, and is open until 10pm weeknights and midnight on weekends.
After Sunday’s soggy start, Al Gore’s probably somewhere saying, “I told ya so, New York." While this isn’t quite as end-of-daysish as "Cloverfield" or "The Day After Tomorrow," I’m taking this as a sign to stock up on rice. That, or maybe I’ll just go get my skates sharpened. This city’s got some rad ice rinks. Watch it all unroll on the webcam.