Cold weather?

I'm planning on going closing day Sunday, and obviously it will be pretty chilly (49 is the high). Have any of you been there on a cold day like this? Do the rides close for Cold weather? Who else is planning on going closing day?

Been there many times curing colder weather. The cold generally doesnt affect the coasters (except for dragster). Its the combination of cold and the wind you should be more concerned about. Saturday is supposed to be pretty windy but calm down somewhat on Sunday. The coasters dont run as fast in the cold. We had a cold/windy day this spring when there were around 4 coasters that valleyed in one day. That was a pretty amazing site to see.

How exactly does cold weather affect coasters? Is the air resistance stronger in cold weather, is there less friction on the track or something else? I'm not an expert in physics or coasters, so I don't know.

I always wondered what the temperature cut off would be for operation of a given coaster at CP (how cold till they can't run it). We rode Thunderhead at Dollywood in March and it was snowing. It was 37 F out at the time and the ride op said that if it dropped to 36 F they would have to close the ride. We rode 4x in a row with huge snow flakes pelting us. It was a blast!

Closing day last year was both cold, and extremely windy. Most every coaster was closed. Once mine ride valleyed, and Iron Dragon for the second time, they were really hesitant to open up anything else. There was a lot of standing around and not much riding of anything.

On Edit: I remember now that Woodstock Express remained open. I remember this because some of the diehards there for closing day (Dave, Ralph, etc) were marathoning that ride. It was pretty funny to see.

Saturday's forecast looks very similar to the Sunday of opening weekend which I think is the day that DSShives is referring to. We were there that day and it was frigid. Millenium and Maverick both valleyed and I think only 4 coasters opened. It was one of those days that would've been a huge disappointment if we weren't passholders.

It'll be miserable, cold and nasty. You should all stay home.

With that said, I'll be there late Friday and all day Saturday & Sunday.

We are planning to hit the park on Sunday....how late we stay will depend on the temp. Cant wait to get there for one final trip!

Still getting over pneumonia but Sunday is our last chance! We may go for a few hours, even if I just sit back and watch my son ride. We'll have to bundle up though!!

Sunday- Berardi's for a late breakfast, then it's off to say farewell Cedar Point for the season. Fingers crossed for better weather than the last day 2012.

Thabto said:
How exactly does cold weather affect coasters? Is the air resistance stronger in cold weather, is there less friction on the track or something else? I'm not an expert in physics or coasters, so I don't know.

Well cold does a few things...

Air density is greater in cold air, so there is more drag.

Lubricants thicken up, causing more friction which can really slow a ride down.

To combat these factors, they often switch the wheels from softer polyurethane to harder urethane. This is why Raptor can be quite a bit louder (than it usually already is) in the cold. But urethane wheels have a lower friction coefficient, which allow a train full with these wheels to be faster than the same train with polyurethane. Generally, a ride has a "formula" of a mix of these wheels for normal operation to hit a target speed.

Wind is another factor, but not really a specific reason for the most part. It is a factor of the reasons above, PLUS the wind which can cause big issues. However, Cedar Point does get some nasty winds in which they must close rides down, even in the middle of summer.

These are the main reasons specific rides may have issues in the cold. Some rides may have less issues in the cold depending on the layout and manufacturer requirements. Rides with a low risk of valleying (unlike Millennium Forces 2nd hill or Raptors MCBR) may be able to run in colder temps.

Hope this helps.

Well i'm going to be there. Hope the winds stay down because I was completely bummed a couple weeks ago when gatekeeper was down all down for high winds.

I will be there Saturday evening with a friend of mine who is not a passholder. Luckily, she is more interested in the Halloweekends Haunts than in the coasters, so even if it is cold and coasters arent all running, we will have a blast. And this gives me more excuse to have beer to warm up.

I wonder if its going to be packed? I am taking a date, and want to hit up some rides along with the haunted attractions....

Walking on Magnum on closing night after sunset, 38 degrees, zipping past the moonlit lake. Almost no sounds except the ride and the wind whipping by. Staying warm in a coat, wool hat, and gloves. Repeat until they make you leave.

It was a cold trip tonight, but this didn't seem to keep the people away. It was not slammed like last Friday, but far from empty. It was down right cold but no one seemed to mind, bundled up and took it in stride. It was a really fun party atmosphere in the park tonight. Looking forward to Sunday and at the same time dreading the last day. :-(

And by the way, everything was running as far as I know and we rode all but WT. I think wind will be a bigger issue for Sat/Sun than temperature based on the forecast that I have seen.

Enjoy!

Saturday was a strange day all around. Most every ride in the park was closed to start the day, and things gradually opened later in the day, to the point I do believe everything was running eventually.

Now speaking of party atmosphere... I have never seen so many drunk people in the park at once, and that includes many years of multiple HW trips per year. I was on super himalaya (sp?) and there were *multiple* cars that people needed assistance getting up and out of the car... and these were otherwise able bodied people. The slipping and falling on the steep, wet ride platform was a fun sight to see for those of us who were not to that level of intoxication.

Maybe with the rides closed, people drank instead?

I was at Hershey Park saturday (and Friday night), thankfully no drunks and didn't see ONE person smoking inside the park. Saw a few outside but that was it. A really nice change since all the smoking I saw at CP a few weeks back.

Cold weather makes the smoke hang around longer. I'd be happy with a fine for public smoking. Jail would be good also.

Can't complain about someone doing one thing, complain about them doing another...