Melting ice sculptures to watery rinks: Five signs of how mild this winter has been

More than halfway into January, New England is still waiting on winter. True, the region looks likely to get a taste of cold and snow on Friday. After a month of snow

sprinkles and above-freezing temperatures, the National Weather Service is predicting a winter storm that could bring more than an inch of snow to Boston — and up to 6 inches

along the state’s northern border. While the storm could be good news for winter activities, many of which have been stifled by the mild season, the wintery weather may not

stick around for long. Forecasters say temperatures in Boston will be back in the 40s by Sunday. Here are five examples of just how warm the season has been so far. Pond

hockey tournament moving indoors New Hampshire’s 12th annual Black Ice Pond Hockey tournament, an outdoor hockey event typically held on the pond at White Park in Concord,

was postponed and shifted to an indoor rink. Tournament organizer Chris Brown told the Concord Monitor Tuesday that a city worker nearly fell through the ice, which he

estimated to be only one or two inches thick — about six inches less than necessary to support heavy equipment. The tournament was initially scheduled to take place Jan.

27-29, but it will now be held in March at the Douglas N. Everett Arena. Last year, the New England Pond Hockey Classic, another outdoor tournament on Lake Waukewan in New

Hampton, N.H., was canceled due to warm weather and rain. This year, the tournament is still scheduled for February on Lake Waukewan — assuming the ice is thick enough. Some

ski slopes staying green