Frigid temperatures mean early start to Naperville’s ice skating season

OK, let’s face it: it’s really cold out there.

Yeah, we live near Chicago and, yeah, it’s the middle of December, and, yeah, if we want warm breezes at this time of year we probably should move to San Diego or someplace like that.

But no matter how broad our shoulders, when it’s colder here than in parts of Alaska, we’ve all earned the right to say “enough already.”

Of course, for those of us who like to see the glass as half full (with ice, no doubt) there is a bright spot in all this: Two of Naperville Park District’s five outdoor skating areas are now open for business.

Thanks to the consistently frigid temperatures, ice rinks opened this week at the Nike Sports Complex at 288 W. Diehl Road and at Gartner Park at 524 W. Gartner Road.

And crews bundled up Thursday to prepare three more rinks for use at Commissioners Park, Centennial Park and Meadow Glens.

Residents can check on the conditions at all Naperville ice rinks by calling (630) 883-4242; going to the website at www.napervilleparks.org/cancellations; downloading a free smartphone app; or asking to receive email or text updates.

The park district’s sled and snowboarding hills, meanwhile, are open whenever the snow is at least two inches deep with no visible grass.

If the thought of all those outdoor activities doesn’t warm your cold heart — not to mention your frosty fingers — you might want to keep this in mind: the official start of winter is still more than a week away.