DELANO, Minnesota — The weather is full of ups and downs. But for The Ice Palace in Delano, crews are wishing for a steady winter season. 

“It’s been very cold and then very warm. We’re going up and down, and up and down,” said Britton Youngstrom, director of operations. “But as you can see… everything here, we put here. Mother Nature has provided no ice or snow for us. We have a snowmaker and we have sprinklers going so when the temperatures are allowing, we’re able to grow the ice.” 

Crews started laying the ground infrastructure at Delano Central Park three weeks ago and started freezing ice about a week ago. 

“Everything starts happening fast when the temperatures hit,” Youngstrom said. 

But on Sunday, the weather was too warm for ice building. As temperatures go down, the ice goes up. Currently, ice is about 10 to 12 feet high. 

“We are a lot more on track and very hopeful for this season,” Youngstrom said. 

Last winter’s mild temperatures forced The Ice Palace to open a month late and close after being open for only four days. At this time last year, ice building hadn’t even started yet. 

“It’s devastating to us cause we put in a lot of work and our crews, they really grind through the night to bring the best product,” Youngstrom said. “To not be able to share that with the public is the largest thing that was kind of a morale hit because the reason we do this is to share it with people, to create positive experiences, and to really leave that positive footprint for the winter magical realm.” 

While Youngstrom would not disclose how much money they lost, he described it as “fairly significant.” 

They weren’t the only snow/ice-related event impacted by the weather. 

The weather also forced early closures for Ice Castles and Art Shanty Projects last winter. This year, Ice Castles is moving to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. And after having to cancel last year, the Minnesota Ice Festival plans to be back this season. 

“We’re trying to decide if this is the new norm for Minnesota or not. As the last two years have proven to have that unequal temperature fluctuations. But you know, we keep trudging along,” Youngstrom said. 

The family-run business is based in Idaho. They typically have locations in both Idaho and Minnesota but after last winter’s hit, they decided to just focus on Minnesota this year. They expect 40,000-50,000 visits. 

“The Ice Palace, you enter into another world. That’s the feeling that we aim to achieve,” Youngstrom said. 

The plan is to open Dec. 28. If the weather cooperates, they will stay open through the last weekend in February. Tickets can be bought online. 

BARRON COUNTY, Wis. — The Barron County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after two people were found dead near a house in Chetek. 

According to a release from the department, multiple law enforcement authorities responded to a 911 call reporting a woman laying on the ground in a pool of blood just after noon on Sunday.

Upon arrival, deputies and officers found a deceased woman outside of the home, according to the release. 

While searching the home, the deputies also found a man who had died.

According to the release, deputies had responded to the residence for a domestic incident in September. 

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.