Temporary daytime closure of Yellowknife Bay snow castle starts Tuesday

Yellowknife's snow castle will face temporary daytime closures starting on Tuesday.

In a news release Monday, organizers of Snowking's Winter Festival said unseasonably warm weather has necessitated a closure during the castle'sregular daytime hours of 12-5 p.m. The closure is meant to protect the snow when it is soft.

Two evening events scheduled for the week ahead remain on schedule.

Yellowknifeand much of the Northwest Territorieshavebeen under a spring heat wave.According to Environment Canada, the temperature in Yellowknife is expected to reach 8 C on Tuesday.

"This is the first time in its 24-season history that Snowking's Winter Festival has had to close, and the first time that a March warm spell has threatened the castle," the news release states in part.

Organizers will monitor the snow castle's structure over the following days. They say they hope to reopen the castle by the weekend, weather permitting.