Fire & Ice festival in Rochester postponed until February 24-26

The Fire & Ice Festival in Rochester has been postponed to February 24-26 due to unseasonably mild weather. The Fire & Ice Committee met last Thursday afternoon at the City of Rochester Fire Department, across the street from the site of the festival, to make the decision. The winter family fun festival had been scheduled for January 27-29. The National Weather Service predicted a high temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit with modest rainfall for today and temperatures that will hover at or just above freezing as the week goes on. "So far winter has not cooperated with us," said J. David VanderVeen, committee chairman. "The committee hopes by postponing the event a few weeks, we will have enough snow to draw the tens of thousands of attendees who look forward to all the activities Fire & Ice offers." The National Weather Service reports on its website (www.crh.noaa.gov/dtx/) that the Detroit/Pontiac area has received a total of 9.2 inches of snowfall since December 1, 2011 compared to 20.4 inches by this point last year. Snow has not remained on the ground because the region has experienced 4.68 inches of rain since December 1, 2011 and a monthly average temperature of 31.9 degrees Fahrenheit for January 2012. The 30-year average temperature in the Detroit/Pontiac area is 24 degrees Fahrenheit. If this weather trend continues, the Fire & Ice committee will meet again to make a decision about the weekend of February 24-26. For more information on Fire & Ice, go to www.destinationoakland.com and enter "Fire & Ice" in the search bar. Fire & Ice is a collaboration of Oakland County, Oakland County Parks, the Rochester DDA, the City of Rochester, and the City of Rochester Hills. Published: Mon, Jan 23, 2012