Feb 12, 2013 — We continue our series, the Adirondack Attic, with Andy Flynn. You may know Andy from his series of Adirondack Attic books on local history. He uses the objects people make, use and leave behind to tell stories about the life and times of the region. NCPR is collaborating with Andy and his sources at the Adirondack Museum and other historical associations and museums in the region to bring these stories to air.

Today, Andy Flynn visits the ice palace in Saranac Lake for a conversation with historian and author Caperton Tissot about cutting ice blocks for the palace and using an antique ice saw.  Go to full article

Waterloo, ON, Jan 16, 2013 — An Ontario environmental studies professor has created a website to track outdoor rink conditions across North America. It's called RinkWatch, where backyard rink creators can help track weather conditions.

According to the website, scientists in Montreal are predicting fewer outdoor skating days in the future, based on the results of data taken from weather stations across Canada over the last fifty years. So, Robert McLeman, at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, is asking for regular, systematic observations from kids and families about outdoor skating on local ice rinks this winter. He told Todd Moe that it's another example of a citizen-scientist project to help track climate change.  Go to full article

Jan 12, 2012 — Icy conditions in the St. Lawrence Valley today made for dangerous roads, school closures and a lot of worry about what's coming next. The National Weather Service says wintry weather will continue for the next day or so--but we don't have to worry about a repeat of the Ice Storm of '98.  Go to full article

Jan 12, 2012 — We shouldn't be seeing another ice storm of '98...but that doesn't mean Thursday's ice hasn't put it on people's minds.

NCPR's documentary "Ice Storm '98: A retrospective" pulled together some of the most memorable moments from the station's coverage of the storm--including when utilities brought power crews in from all over the east.

Those crews worked doggedly to restore electricity to approximately-100,000 people. But they also had to eat--and in this piece from the documentary, Ellen Rocco checked in with some of them as they ate breakfast at a diner in Canton:  Go to full article

Feb 17, 2011 — Ottawa is entering its final weekend of Winterlude. The skateway and ice slides will be closed due to warm temperatures on Thursday and Friday. Organizers are hoping to preserve the ice - and the fun - for the last weekend.
The festivities always include gawking at the masterful snow sculptures around the city. The sculptors come from all over, many following a circuit of winter festivals that take them across the globe.

David Sommerstein caught up with one globetrotting ice sculptor at Jacques-Cartier Park in Gatineau for today's Heard Up North.  Go to full article

Lake Placid, NY, Feb 15, 2011 — Fifty years ago today, a tragic jetliner crash in Belgium killed the entire U.S. Figure Skating World Team. Three of the victims had North Country connections: Coach Daniel Ryan and his ice dancers Larry Pierce and Diane Sherbloom trained in Canton and Lake Placid. Last month, Daniel Ryan, and the rest of the 1961 team, were inducted into the Figure Skating Hall of Fame in Greensboro, North Carolina. A new movie, Rise, which premieres around the country on Thursday, pays tribute to the 1961 team and the world of figure skating. Todd Moe talks with Terry Ryan Sullivan about her father's legacy and the new film.  Go to full article

Elgin, ON, Jan 25, 2011 — Marco Smits grew up skating outdoors in the Netherlands before he married a Canadian and settled in the rural lake country of Portland, Ontario.

Smits thought the area's excellent natural ice should do more than just hold up ice fishing huts. So, back in 2004, he inspired a bunch of hearty volunteers to clear a one kilometer oval track and launch a noteworthy community sporting event.

The 7th International Big Rideau Lake Speed Skating Marathon - affectionately nicknamed 'Skate the Lake' - is back for 2011, after taking a breather over the Vancouver Olympics.

This Saturday, January 29, skaters of all ages and abilities will descend on tiny Portland for 5, 10 or 25 kilometer events.

Ottawa correspondent Lucy Martin caught up with Smits by phone to hear how this year's preparations are coming along.  Go to full article

Ray Brook, NY, Dec 24, 2010 — With winter in full swing, officials with the state Department of Environmental Conservation are reminding outdoor enthusiasts to be cautious on lakes and rivers.

Hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, and snowmobiling on frozen lakes and ponds are among the many winter delights enjoyed by residents and visitors of the Adirondack Park. Chris Morris offers some tips on how to be safe on the ice this winter.  Go to full article

Nov 30, 2010 — Saranac Lake writer Caperton Tissot says ice has had an enormous impact on life in the Adirondacks. The unavoidable winter element is the subject of her new book, Adirondack Ice: A Cultural and Natural History. It traces the evolution of the influence of ice on everything from industries, transportation, recreation, accidents and the 1998 Ice Storm. Caperton Tissot told Todd Moe that her fascination with ice began with its beauty when she volunteered to help with the Ice Palace in Saranac Lake during the annual Winter Carnival.  Go to full article

Shishmaref, AK, Jul 22, 2009 — Yesterday, we reported that Arctic sea ice is melting faster than scientists (already alarmed at its disappearance) had expected. The National Snow and Ice Data Center says the rate has accelerated to 11.7% per decade.

That is far too fast for Native Americans who live along the Artic ice, on permafrost that's also thawing rapidly. Environmental biologist Jon Rosales teaches at St. Lawrence University. He spent this past spring getting a first hand look at effects of climate change in northern Alaska. He visited three villages on the Seward Peninsula, the part of Alaska that reaches west toward Siberia. It is our end of what used to be the land bridge between the two continents. He told Martha Foley that even in late spring, he says, the snow was horizontal. But, still, everything is too warm.  Go to full article