SEATTLE — Seattle’s stretch of freezing days has had an unexpected effect — buckled and bumpy turf fields.
The upward swelling of these now-lumpy fields is caused by frost heaving, which happens when ice forms underneath fine-grain soils, displacing the ground as the ice grows toward the surface.
Even harder surfaces like roads are susceptible to frost heaving, said Dustin Guy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle, but it’s unlikely in Western Washington since “we haven’t seen a huge temperature swing over a long period of time.”
As temperatures start to rise, “we should start to see some of that stuff flatten out,” he said.
Queen Anne Bowl Playfield, Lower Woodland Fields Nos. 7 and 2, Loyal Heights Playfield, Magnuson Nos. 6 and 7 and Jefferson Playfield were closed due to weather or field conditions, Seattle Parks and Recreation said Tuesday.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the department had identified nine fields affected across seven parks.
The buckling at Queen Anne Bowl Playfield, Lower Woodland Field No. 2, Magnuson Nos. 6 and 7 and Jefferson Playfield resolved on its own, Seattle Parks spokesperson Rachel Schulkin said Wednesday afternoon. These fields will reopen Thursday, she said.
The fields started to warp over the weekend, Schulkin, said, affecting over 20 sports teams with a loss of 215 scheduled hours.
Washington Park and Montlake Playfield, which feature relatively new turf, have also sustained damage from frost heaving, according to Capitol Hill Blog Seattle.
Seattle Parks is assessing the field damage, Schulkin said.
