CRIPPLE CREEK, Colo. — Warm December weather is causing some setbacks for the Cripple Creek Ice Castles, one of the area's biggest winter attractions. Crews hope to complete the impressive man-made ice sculptures before the week of Christmas.
The unseasonably warm temperatures have been melting the ice during the day, creating a frustrating situation for the team working on the popular holiday destination.
One ice sculptor described watching his work melt away as particularly disheartening.
"That was my work that I put into it, you know, and so it's more, more of a sad feeling than a nervous feeling, I guess I would say," he said.
Temperatures between December 13-16 have been nearly 20 degrees above average, according to a Scripps News Colorado Springs meteorologist.
Despite the setbacks, the Cripple Creek Ice Castles team remains optimistic about the desert location's natural temperature swings.
"That sun goes down, we're in the desert, and so it gets cold enough where we're able to, you know, maintain what we built on the day, if not grow a little bit. It's just not as fast a progress as when it is very cold," the ice sculptor said.
The team is anticipating colder temperatures later this week that should help their progress.
"Ice can be rebuilt," the ice sculptor said. "Until then, you know, it's just gonna be us building and building and hopefully making it bigger and better once those temps drop."
You can click here to see if the attraction has opened.
