“Then the tracks will not hold together” • Meteorological spring in large parts of the country – see the map
The mild weather of recent days has affected the ski tracks ahead of Vasaloppet on Sunday. Earlier in the week, parts of the track stretch were kept closed, after water penetrated the marshes.
This weekend, the mild temperatures are expected to continue, which will affect the 15,800 participants in the Vasaloppet.
– On Sunday, there will be real spring temperatures in large parts of the country. Many people think that is very wonderful, but it also sets it for the Vasaloppskarna, says TV4’s meteorologist Madeleine Westin.
In Mora there is expected to be nine plus degrees, something the organizers are preparing for.
– If it gets so hot, the tracks are guaranteed not to hold together for all participants, says Vasaloppet’s sports manager Tommy Höglund.
Shot snow on pallets
The organizers will make decisions during the day if you are going to go in with piste machines and make new tracks during the course of the race.
– We did this at Tjejvasan and open track, but we do it on distances where it is not dangerous, not in the downhill runs. Then we have scooters that go ahead and show the participants when they are going to the right and left, says Höglund.
During the week, parts of the track have been suspended for skiing, to save on the snow and prepare for the weekend. Vasaloppet increased the workforce to catch up with the efforts required. Among other things, the ditches were cut on wet distances to allow water to run away.
– At a short party we have laid out pallets and shot snow on them so that you get over watercourses, he says.
Handing out socks in fluid controls
The sports manager feels no concern that the warm weather will lead to more injuries among the skiers, but believes that it may be good to bring extra socks.
– You will get wet on your feet on Sunday, but it is also not dangerous. We have a number of socks that we will distribute in the fluid controls, we do that every year. But we don’t have 15,000, he says.
According to Madeleine Westin, there are unusually high temperatures across much of the country, especially as the plus degrees extend north. The highest temperatures of the weekend will be measured along the Baltic Sea coast on Sunday.
– There you get what we call the Föhne effect. Mild northwesterly winds pull in and sink down to the Baltic Sea. There the air is heated further, and there we will see temperatures up to ten degrees, she says.
Spring climbs upwards
During Thursday evening, SMHI announced that the meteorological spring has climbed upwards in the country. Spring has now come up with Södermanland and Uppland, with the exception of an area in the Småland area. There are still only spring temperatures, but not ours.
Some northern parts of the country have also been reached by the meteorological spring, including an area near Lake Storsjön at Östersund. The meteorological spring occurs after each day had an average temperature of above zero degrees, seven days in a row. At the earliest, spring can occur on February 15.