Southern California

How Do Those Outdoor Ice Rinks Stay Frozen in the California Heat?

How does all that sun-baked ice keep from melting in warmer climes?

It begins to look a lot like Christmas when seasonal outdoor ice rinks start popping up around Southern California. But summer-like days this fall sure don't make it feel that way.

So how does all that sun-baked ice keep from melting in warmer climes? NBC4's media partner KPCC asked an expert this question.

Lenny Davis, president of Ice Cold Entertainment, knows all the tricks. His company installed the 5,000-square-foot slab of ice at The District in Tustin, the largest pop-up ice rink in Orange County.

He isn't concerned about the temperature.

"What affects an outdoor ice rink is sun and wind. Not so much the heat," he told KPCC. "I'm not so much worried about the ambient temperature, once we've made the rink, as I am about the sun hitting it or the wind hitting it."

The bright sun will tend to melt the surface layer but underneath the ice, it's about 5 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Davis.

Read more from KPCC

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