It might be warmer than normal, but that hasn't sent a knockout punch to outdoor skating rinks in the Rural Municipality of Hanover.

Lisa Baldwin is Manager of Recreation and Community Services. She says each of their urban centres will have an outdoor rink this winter. Prior to this mild spell, the rink in New Bothwell had already opened. In fact, Baldwin says it was open before the middle of November and had been getting some good use.

But then came this stretch of unseasonably mild weather. Baldwin says it has been enough to close the rink in New Bothwell, and has also stalled openings in Mitchell, Blumenort, Kleefeld and Grunthal. But Baldwin doesn't think those rinks are far away from seeing their first action of the season.

"I think they are all pretty close," she says.

She notes because of the mild forecast for this week, they will have to play things by ear. But she expects some skaters might be doing laps already this week.