The Canadian Birkebeiner Ski Festival has been cancelled due to extreme cold.
Long-range weather forecasts for Saturday predict temperatures will not crest above the event’s –25 C cutoff.
“To say we are all disappointed would be an understatement,” organizers said in a news release Tuesday afternoon. “We are crushed.”
It’s the sixth time the event, held at the Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area, about 45 kilometres east of Edmonton, has been cancelled since 1985.
“This year the snow is fabulous, but the powerful arctic high-pressure area has us in its grasp and won’t begin to release until next week,” the release said.
“To the over 1,000 registered skiers and over 500 volunteers, we can only say Mother Nature is dealing us a hand that we can’t beat.”
The cold snap forced an emergency meeting for organizers Monday in an effort to salvage the race, which attracts an estimated 1,000 skiers from across North America.
Organizers initially moved back the start time and shortened the course. But by Tuesday afternoon, it was clear the weather would be too cold.
“The decision for our non-profit society to cancel has been long and difficult,” the release said. “We explored every option to keep our skiers and volunteers safe.
“But with the balance – and temperatures – tipping into the truly dangerous zone, the only decision is to cancel the adult ski events.”
The kids’ ski events are postponed to Feb. 17 at William Hawrelak Park in Edmonton.