No snow? It’s still a go

PHOTOGRAPHER: Patrick Dodson

Teams compete in the Saratoga Frozen Springs Classic pond hockey tournament at Saratoga Spa State Park on Feb. 7, 2015. Conditions were much more conducive for hockey last year than so far this winter.

With weather that feels more like April than February, winter events that rely on snow and ice are seeing changes. The traditional outhouse races on the ice of Lake George will be run on land and on wheels this weekend, when the Lake George Winter Carnival begins. And Saturday’s planned snowshoe race in Saratoga Spa State Park will be a foot race, with runners encouraged to wear crampons.

Saturday’s Clifton Park Winterfest — in its 25th year — will go on with a few changes.

“It’s not having a tremendous effect,” Myla Kramer, the town’s director of parks, recreation and community affairs, said of the weather. “Except for the fact we cannot do our ice fishing because I think it’s called regular fishing when there’s no ice.”

Upcoming events

Chowderfest: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Downtown Saratoga Springs. discoversaratoga.org/chowderfest

Clifton Park Winterfest: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Clifton Park Center,

Dwaaskill Nature Preserve and other locations around Clifton Park. www.cliftonpark.com/winter/winter-festival.cfm

Lake George Winter Carnival: Every weekend in February, Lake George Village. www.lakegeorgewintercarnival.com

Saratoga Frozen Springs Classic: Feb. 12-14, Saratoga Spa State Park. saratogafrozenspringsclassic.com

Springlike conditions also changed the planned snowshoe walk into a regular walk, and the sleigh rides into wagon rides.

But Kramer sees one advantage to the warmer weather: “I think it will increase our attendance. People won’t be nervous about driving in the snow and standing in the cold,” she said. “I think attendance will be huge — we’re preparing for that.”

Sunday’s Winterfest at Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park, a family event focused on snowshoeing and cross country skiing, has been canceled because of the lack of snow.

At the Lake George Winter Carnival, which runs every weekend in February, wheels have been added to most of the traditional ice events.

In addition to wheeled outhouse races, youth hockey events will be done on roller blades instead of ice skates.

“We’ll make the best of it,” said Linda Duffy, co-chairwoman of the carnival. “It’s nice out so it’s nice to be outside. . . . I think nice weather will bring people out also, because there’s still a lot going on.”

Non-weather-dependent events include Saturday’s parade, ATV rides, marshmallow toasting, the chili cook-off and fireworks. And the carnival will feature a duck race for the first time this year — participants can race their rubber ducks from West Brook road to the lake.

The polar plunges — each Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. — could be more pleasant than usual.

“I’ll roll with the punches,” Duffy said. “I don’t want rain and now I don’t want it freezing cold because it won’t make a difference.”

Saratoga Spa State Park is preparing for the annual Saratoga Frozen Springs Classic pond hockey tournament scheduled for next weekend, Feb. 12-14. Ice conditions at in the park are being monitored closely, and during freezing nights the ice rinks are sprayed to build up the ice surface.

Still, Wednesday’s rain and high temps had organizers concerned. “It’s supposed to get colder next week, so we’re hopeful,” said Todd Garofano, president of the Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau.

More than 80 teams are registered to play in the outdoor hockey tournament, some local and others traveling from neighboring states to participate.

Garofano also is involved with Saturday’s Chowderfest in Saratoga, an event he thinks will benefit from the warmer weather.

“If anything I think it would probably bring more folks out,” he said. “We were [below] zero last year with the windchill and we still had about 30,000 people come out.”

The predicted temperatures for the weekend are not the warmest that Garofano can recall.

“It’s gotten warm before and it’s actually been warmer,” he said. “One Chowderfest in the last five years or so it was in the 40s and that was a huge crowd, probably the first time we had over 30,000 people.”

Garofano is still hoping for a drop in temperatures after the Chowderfest crowds leave town, in time for a successful pond hockey tournament.

“If everything lines up right, we’ll have the perfect weather for Chowderfest and perfect weather for pond hockey,” he said.

Being able to adjust plans is key for all winter events in the Capital Region, said Kramer, Clifton Park’s director of parks.

“Honestly, living in upstate New York — we’re not very far upstate, we’re middle upstate — we’re so used to the weather being unpredictable this time of year,” she said. “We’re very flexible with our activities.”