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Questions and answers about sports

How cold is an ice skating rink?

5 min read

Asked by: Michelle Watson

While it is common knowledge that ice freezes at 32 degrees that is hardly the ideal ice to skate on. Most ice rinks will keep the air temperature at a brisk 55-65 degrees and the on-ice temperature between 17 and 29 degrees.

How warm should you dress for ice skating?

A light fleece, sweatshirt, warm-up type jacket, or sweater may be all that is necessary to keep you warm, but if a rink is especially cold, consider dressing in layers. For example, you could wear a light jacket or sweater under a heavier jacket at first.

How cold does it get in a hockey arena?

between 50 and 60°

Generally speaking, the ice will be about 25° and the air, for an inside game, will be somewhere between 50 and 60°. That’s not bad considering outdoor games must be played in freezing or below-freezing temperatures.

Are hockey rinks cold?

If you are going to a professional hockey game, the temperature in the arena will be between 60F (15C) and 65F (18C). You will be comfortable wearing a light jacket or hockey jersey. Whereas, recreational rinks are quite a bit colder and temperatures are often 55F (12C) or cooler and require heavier clothing options.

How thick is NHL ice?

The jersey is sometimes called a sweater because, during hockey’s early years, players actually wore sweaters and not the mesh-like jerseys of today. How thick is the ice? Ice is approximately 3/4″ of an inch thick and is usually chilled at 16 degrees fahrenheit. The thicker the ice, the softer and slower it becomes.

How much do NHL ref make?

Salary Ranges for Nhl Referees



The salaries of Nhl Referees in the US range from $14,441 to $385,332 , with a median salary of $69,166 . The middle 57% of Nhl Referees makes between $69,167 and $174,049, with the top 86% making $385,332.

Does a Zamboni use hot or cold water?

The machine dispenses warm water (140 to 145 degrees F or 60 to 63 degrees C) through holes at the back, where a towel smoothes it as it freezes along the surface [sources: Exploratorium, Zamboni].

Is there ice under basketball court?

It remains frozen throughout the season thanks to a calcium-chloride solution (called brinewater) that is cooled and circulated in the layer of concrete that forms the base of the ice layer. When it’s time to convert an ice hockey rink to a basketball court, the walls and glass panels around the rink are removed.

How is NHL ice made?

At the beginning of the hockey season, the arena uses an advanced refrigeration system that pumps freezing “brinewater” (salt water) through a system of pipes that run through a large piece of concrete known as the “ice slab.” When the “ice slab” gets cold enough, layers of water are applied to it.

What does a Zamboni do to the ice?

Shaving the Ice: A zamboni cuts away the top layer of ice (often 1/16th of an inch or less) using a sharp blade, much like a shaving razor. Rotating augers carry away the shavings into the ‘snow tank,’ which lies toward the front of the machine. Washing the Ice: Underneath the snow tank lies the water tank.

How long does it take to make the ice for the rink?

The entire process can take almost 48 hours. The ice is only about one inch thick when everything is finished. In addition, the official size of a National Hockey League rink is 200 feet long and 85 feet wide.

How do outdoor ice rinks stay frozen?

The most common method of refrigeration used in keeping an ice rink frozen is an indirect refrigeration system. This is where a liquid refrigerant (often ammonia) absorbs heat from a secondary liquid (often brine) which has absorbed heat from the source.

How is an ice rinks kept frozen?

In ice rinks, the refrigerant cools brine water, an anti-freezing agent, which goes through pipes underneath the ice. These steel pipes are typically embedded into a concrete slab and kept at 32 F / 0 C, so that any water placed on top of the slab freezes and becomes the skating surface that we see.

How much ice does a Zamboni remove?

When the machine resurfaces the ice, it is capable of removing close to 2,500 pounds of compacted snow, while it can leave behind about 1,500 pounds of water.

What does a Zamboni cost?

As the sizes and options of the Zamboni machines vary greatly according to each ice arena’s individual needs, so does the price. The Model 100 (a small tractor pulled unit) may be in the neighborhood of $10,000.00 or more and the full-sized machines can be up to or in the low six figures.

How much does a Zamboni driver make NHL?

According to reported salary estimates on job posting sites, the average Zamboni driver salary is around $13 per hour, or $26,500 (USD) annually. Top earners, such as NHL Zamboni drivers, earn a salary range from $29,000-$31,000, per ZipRecruiter.

How thick is figure skating ice?

Short track speed skating ice requires a thickness of 1 to 1.25 inches (2.5–3cm), compared to figure skating where the ice is 1.5 to 2 inches (3.8–5cm) thick.

How cold is curling ice?

Ice Surface temperature



Surface temps must be kept between 22.5 and 24.5 degrees. This allows the proper frictional melting needed for speed and curl. All clubs are different, but there is a “crash” point with your surface. In the 24-degree range, the ice has good frictional contact with the rock.

Why does a Zamboni use hot water?


This low pressure causes the air bubbles to expand gather into larger air bubbles and escape into the atmosphere. Through. The resurfacing machines fill hole because air is lighter than water.