(La Porte, IN) - The hope is for the refrigerated ice rink in downtown La Porte to reopen this weekend after a recent meltdown. 

La Porte Park Department Superintendent Mark Schreiber said there was ice on the outdoor rink up until Christmas Day when above-50-degree temperatures, along with rainfall, melted the skating surface.

The rink has been closed since, but with cooler temperatures now and in the forecast for several days, the goal is for it to reopen on Saturday and Sunday.

“We basically have spent this week trying to build it back up,” he said.

If the rink opens as planned, the hours for Saturday, depending on the weather, will be from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“This rain and those unseasonably warm temperatures, they’ve caused issues not just for our rink, but rinks across the region,” Schreiber said.