Postby Joe » Wed Dec 11, 2013 8:54 am
I always like to keep my ice exposed to the air. What can happen, even in cold temps, is that the ice starts to bond to the snow (don't ask me for the scientific explanation...this will have to do, haha). Then when you eventually shovel it, you're left with a bumpy, orange-peel effect that is tough to skate on and will require a resurface. I'm not certain this happens 100% of the time, but if you're hoping to just shovel it off in a few days and skate, I'd advise you to shovel it now and leave the ice exposed to the air where you can be certain it will be ready to go when you are.
Side note: even when it's below freezing, the ice tends to "resurface" itself with the sun during the day. You'll find that if you skate at night, clear the shavings, then come out the next night, your grooves aren't as deep and many of your skate lines are gone altogether. This won't happen if you don't shovel, though.
I'm Joe from Backyard-Hockey.com and EliteRinks.com.
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