Still no ice; pond hockey a month away

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Buffalo likes to show off its wintry side each year with a pond hockey tournament. But though the excitement is already present, the ice isn't!

The event is one month away and according to city engineers, the Queen City would need three weeks of consistently below freezing temperatures to build anywhere close to enough ice to make the tournament a go.

But it isn't unusual to have ice-free years. It happened in '53, '83, '98, 2002, and 2012. And it does seem that the frequency is increasing.

Organizers are looking for a minimum of 8-inches of ice depth in order to play. Surprisingly, given the right conditions, ice can set up pretty quickly. Back during 2007, the January 9th lake temperature was 41, 6 degrees warmer than Wednesday's reading.

By early February 2007, the lake water temperature had dropped to 32 and ice had formed. But organizers don't just need ice, they need 8-inches of it.

At this point the verdict is still out as to exactly how much ice will be found at the Erie Basin Marina by Saturday, February 9. The long-range weather pattern does favor much colder weather toward the end of next week. And it may even persist for awhile, but whether 8-inches of ice will form, organizers will just have to wait and see.

This coming Tuesday, all of the players in the event will be meeting to come up with a plan for this year's Pond Hockey Tournament, should ice formation be inadequate. We will keep you updated.