SUNBURY -- When you think of ice skating, you probably think of snow and cold weather, not sun and 70-degree temperatures, but that's the reality for the Sunbury Ice Rink, and it's feeling the effects of the heat.
A group of homeschooled kids spent the day skating at the Sunbury Ice Rink, but their skating was not as smooth as usual. There are lots of bumps in the ice.
The Sunbury Ice Rink opened on its usual day, October 1, but since the outside temperatures are so warm for this time of year, employees say it affects the ice.
"The ceiling gathers a lot of condensation. When that drips onto the ice, it creates bumps on the ice and ripples," said ice rink worker Matt Snyder who runs the Zamboni several times a day to smooth the ice.
"It also has a blade that goes along the surface of the ice. The warm water heats the ice up, which allows the blade to move the ice with it and smooth it up," he explained.
Snyder says college hockey teams notice the ice bumps the most. But Austin Weaver of Lewisburg saw them, too.
"It's dripping off the ceiling and then it freezes on the ice before it gets the chance to smooth out."
Employees say the ideal temperature in this room is about 20 degrees. The ice is best when the temperature outside matches that and the issues at the ice rink will be fixed when it gets cooler outside.