Norge Ski Jump in Fox River Grove Postponed Due to Mild Winter

With more than a century of history, the Norge Ski Jump in Fox River Grove has long been a constant in winters in the far northwest suburbs.

Yet due to the mostly mild weather throughout the Chicago area in January, the 118th annual Norge Ski Jump has been postponed until Feb. 11-12.

Event officials said the decision to postpone was made due to the lack of cold temperatures for much of the past month, limiting the ability to create the man-made snow necessary to ensure the safety of the athletes participating.

Thanks to a forecast that suggests sustained cold temperatures are on the way for the Chicago area, conditions will improve to make the amount of snow necessary.

Event officials said that while the snowfall this week is helpful to an extent, some areas need to be a foot deep in snow, as some athletes can travel up to 60 miles per hour off a 200-foot tall icy tower.

Sustained temperatures of under 20 degrees are necessary to use snowmaking equipment to produce artificial snow, much of which melted over the past month after a strong start to the season in December.

According to event officials, the new dates of Feb. 11-12 are the only dates that could accommodate both other competitions held at the Norge Ski Club and weather that would make the event possible.