Dutch hope for first races on natural ice as winter kicks in
The Groningen village of Noordlaren is hoping to stage the first skating marathon of this winter on natural ice following several nights of hard frost.
The temperature dropped as low as -9C in parts of Groningen overnight and is likely to be a maximum of -3C during the day, the KNMI weather bureau says.
Noordlaren traditionally competes with Veenoord in Drenthe and Haaksbergen in Overijssel to stage the first races on their outdoor rinks – which are carefully flooded to allow the ice to build up over several days.
Snow
The KNMI says on Monday that night frosts are expected to continue this week, with the temperature remaining just above freezing point during the day. There may be some snow on Tuesday.
However, the freezing temperatures will be short-lived and it will be warmer again at the weekend, the KNMI says.
Er ligt ongeveer drie millimeter ijs bij @ijsnoordlaren Straks wordt er weer gesproeid. #natuurijs #eerstemarathon pic.twitter.com/IRgm21HvgM
— Henk Elderman (@henkelderman) January 17, 2016
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