Warm Weather Has Winter Event Organizers On Edge

ST. PAUL (WCCO) -- From when the first snowflakes fly, many look forward to their favorite winter events, but this mild and snowless season has organizers on edge.

Even so, most winter event organizers WCCO talked to have weather concerns, but the theme seemed to be that the show must go on

Beth Pinkney works for the St. Paul Winter Carnival.

"Meeting back in August, we would never, ever, have imagined we would be at the point we're at with no snow, which is absolutely crazy, but as our planning has gone we have plan A, B, C and D and we're probably at plan C," said Pinkney.

In fact, the only part of the Winter Carnival event that may be in jeopardy is the snow sculpting contest, but the Carnival itself will go on.

"The Winter Carnival has gone on for 125 (years), this will be its 126th year," said Jake Spano, the marketing director for the City of St. Paul. "It's done it without snow before. It will do it again this year without snow."

This year, there's a new event in St. Paul. It's a combination of roller-derby, luge and downhill skiing called the "Red Bull Crashed Ice." The warm weather has aided in construction of the course.

"It's actually worked to their benefit because the construction process has gone much smoother than it normally would, they anticipated snow and ice," said Spano.

Also, for the upcoming Pre-Loppet Cross-Country Ski Event, the weather is a game changer, but it's not game-over. John Munger is with the Nordic Ski Foundation that hosts the event.

"Rather than starting here and finishing over by Wirth Lake, which is our typical course, we're gonna do some loops on the snow-making loop," said Munger.

So, although adjustments are being made, the overall attitude is that "the festival will go on," said Munger.