Thanks to balmy mid-January temperatures, the town of Rocky Mountain House has announced that both the outdoor skating oval and outdoor rink are temporarily closed.

Both surfaces have seen quickly deteriorating ice conditions due to unseasonably warm temperatures. Officials are asking the public to respect the signage and locked gate while everyone waits for cooler weather.

According to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Rocky Mountain House expects to see a high of 6 degrees Celsius on Jan. 14 — a full 15 degrees higher than the average daytime high of -6 degrees Celsius.

Just before Christmas, town public works crews took advantage of the cold weather in December to lay down about 325 cubic metres of water on the skating oval alone.

In a typical year, officials say crews say about 10 days of cold weather are needed for the rink to properly freeze.