The outdoor ice skating areas are maintained throughout the winter season according to the weather conditions and available resources. Lights at the ice rinks work only when the rinks are officially open for use (safe operating conditions). The lights are on from 9.00 to at least 20.45. In Santahaka, the lights are kept on until 21.30.
Outdoor ice maintenance levels 2025-2026
- Main ice rinks and skating areas, level 1: Ice-making and plowing daily (depending on weather conditions). Operating season: when conditions allow.
- Santahaka, Kirkonmäki, Koivuhaka and Ykspihlaja
- School ice rinks, level 2: Ice-making once a week and plowing on weekdays during the day (depending on weather conditions). Operating season: starting no earlier than January 2026.
- Park and other small ice rinks, level 3: Ice-making and plowing as resources allow.
- Outdoor ice rinks in Kälviä, Lohtaja and Ullava are maintained according to the available resources and weather conditions.
Ice-making on outdoor ice rinks
- Outdoor ice rinks require a compacted snow base and a sufficiently long period of sub-zero temperatures before starting the ice-making process.
- The colder it is, the better. Under the right conditions, an ice rink can be completed in about a week.
- When planning the ice-making schedule, we also take into account freezing the base surface of the rink to be plowed, access routes onto the ice, and other related work.