Warm nights & overcast skies marred winter sports in the Ice Skating Rink Shimla

 Himachal Pradesh which is considered Mecca of winter sports  have to organize winter games at a Nako ice lake in Kinnaur district as slightly warm night and overcast sky spoils these seasonal sports as state was force to close  Ice skating Rink at Shimla. Member of Shimla Ice Skating Club Mr Vishal Sarin stated that overcast skies after the first week of January have forced Ice Skating activities in the first natural rink in Asia to stop for this winter season. The organizers of Ice skating in Shimla, after January 7, could conduct only six skating session compared to normal 36 skating sessions this year. However other places in state, like Kaza of Lahaul-Spiti and Nako in Kinnuar, ice skating is non-stop, owing to their optimum weather and temperature conditions. Aftermath of Covid National Ice Skating Association couldn’t host winter games at Ice Skating Rink Shimla for five years moreover it hosted winter games at Kaza last year and Nako in Kinnuar district this year. The adverse weather conditions for the last two years continue to spoil the Winter ice-skating games at ISRS as hundreds of enthusiastic Ice skaters in the capital city keenly looked up at the skies, hoping the clouds would go away soon after pouring some snow. However, the Gods were not kind enough, as multiple western disturbances affected the blue skies. Pertinent to mention that to freeze a natural ice skating rink, the temperature has to be around the freezing point. In mid-hills like Shimla, the snow line on the high hills and the clear skies bring down the mercury in winter. Clouds raise the temperature, thus melting the Ice frozen on the ground, making it impossible to skate. This year, several western disturbances have hit this part of the nation. Even though it has not rained or snowed much, Clouds have been hovering in the skies of Shimla and have ruined the Ice in the rink. The same weather is predicted to continue until at least February 11.Now, due to the temperature increase, skating might not be possible. Noteworthy is that it is not the first time ice skating natural rink has got hit due to weather. The year 2017 was even worse. A total of 8 sessions were reported in that year. That year, the delayed session started on December 27, 2016, and ended abruptly on January 2, 2017. Before this, the lowest number of skating sessions was 12 in 1972.