BY ALEX PIAZZA
Traverse City -- Chris Kushman plans to ring in the new year on his cross-country skis.
But Kushman, 36, of Traverse City, might have to push his ski trip back a few hours.
That's because he'll most likely be busy shoveling his driveway this afternoon.
"We might just have to play it by ear, and tweak our plans if we need to," he said. "It depends on how much snow comes, but we'll try and get out regardless."
More than a foot of new snow could blanket Traverse City this weekend, said officials with the National Weather Service station in Gaylord.
Mother Nature is expected to dump up to five inches of lake-effect snow this morning, and another five inches tonight, said NWS meteorologist Scott Rozanski.
"You could have 12 inches in the next couple days, but that could always linger around," he said.
Kushman and his son, Matthew, 4, said they'll welcome more snow. Matthew repeatedly plunged down a slide into a pile of snow this week at F&M; Park in Traverse City.
Matthew also plans to cross-country ski alongside his father today on the Vasa trail.
"I'm four years old, and I'm really good at skiing," he said.
Winter got off to a slow start, but quickly picked up pace last month as nearly 40 inches of snow fell across Traverse City, Rozanski said. Four fresh inches of snow were reported Thursday at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City.
And with the snow comes freezing temperatures. Temperatures are not expected to rise above the 25-degree mark heading into next week, Rozanski said.
Cold temperatures will be highlighted Saturday, with a high of 16 degrees, he said.
But that's good news for Katie and Meg O'Connor.
The Traverse City sisters laced up their ice skates and took full advantage of the frigid temperatures this week as they tested out a newly flooded rink at F&M; Park.
"We come out here a lot," said Katie, 15. "It's something to do in the wintertime. You don't have to pay, so that's nice."
Crews recently flooded rinks near F&M; Park, Thirlby Field and Traverse Heights Elementary School, said Lauren Vaughn, the city's parks and recreation superintendent.
"We have to have the cold temperatures, but without the snow," he said.
Vaughn said heavy snow will slow efforts to complete the three ice rinks. Crews flooded the rinks before Christmas, but an unexpected warm front melted the ice.
The three rinks are not "officially" open to the public because crews have to flood them numerous times before they're ready.
"We just keep flooding them until we get a decent thickness," Vaughn said. "It helps to put a little, thin layer down at a time. Only once in the past 18 years have we opened before January. Usually the weather doesn't stabilize until then."
