As the temperature and humidity outdoors change, the arena and ice temperatures must change to compensate for the heat and humidity that will come in when the arena doors are opened to fans and spectators. Many NHL players have expressed concerns about ice conditions in very warm-weather cities during the Stanley Cup playoffs because the outdoor temperature may be hot enough to affect the temperature inside the building, thereby softening the ice. In Canada, the problem is just the opposite. The buildings often have to be heated because it's so cold outdoors during hockey season, and extremely low temperatures can also cause problems with the ice. Figure skaters and hockey skaters have different ideas of what good ice and bad ice are.
Ice conditions can vary greatly with a temperature change as small as one degree.
The type of water also can change conditions. For example, ice made with water that contains dissolved alkaline salts may have a sticky feel to it and will dull skate blades. Figure skaters prefer an ice temperature of 26-28 F. Ice in that temperature range is softer and grips the skate edges better, and is less likely to shatter under the impact of jumps. Hockey players, though, prefer colder, harder ice. With many skaters on the ice simultaneously, it's easy for the ice surface to get chewed up at the temperatures preferred by figure skaters.