Despite the lack of snow, conditions were perfect for making ice. Park and Recreation employees were busy over the last few days flooding the outdoor ice skating rink and hockey rinks.

Park and Rec. Director Joey Schugel said they were able to have the rinks ready earlier than last year. In 2024, there were only a few days where it was possible to ice skate at Harman Park. This year conditions are right for an extended skating season.

“Our crews did some light flooding in mid-December,” Schugel said. The idea was to saturate the ground and prepare it for freezing later in the winter. Even though there was a warm spell over the holidays, temperatures cooled down after Jan. 2. The extended cold snap allowed staff to put down multi-layers of ice.

The rink had to be flooded 12 times before the ice was suitable for skating, but Schugel said this was a relatively low number for the Harman Park rinks.

New Ulm Park and Recreation Director Joey Schugel walks across the Harman Park hockey rink, checking the layers of ice. He finds a patch that could use more ice, but the outdoor hockey and skating rink are up and runnin

For the last few years, the New Ulm/Sleepy Eye Hockey Association has donated a rink liner to assist with flooding the hockey rink, but Schugel said this was the first time in many years the liner was not needed.

Schugel thanked the hockey association and staff for getting the rinks ready this early in the season. Staff will continue to add ice to the rinks. Park and Rec are committed to keeping the outdoor rinks in operation as long as the weather allows.

The Harman Park warming house is open daily from 12 to 8 p.m.

The Harman Park ice skating is open to the public. Though the park has very little snow in it, conditions have been perfect for making ice.