Every winter, Long Island's hockey community patiently waits for the ponds and lakes to freeze over so they can lace up their skates and play their favorite game outside in the crisp, cool air. In recent years, this has become less of an occurrence for hockey fans as warmer temperatures have limited the amount of ice Long Island gets on its ponds and lakes now.

Climate change is huge problem that the entire world has been affected by and Long Island is no exception. From sweltering hot summers, to Superstorm Sandy and the flooding that came along with it, Long Island has suffered. While warmer winters might not seem like such a bad thing to some people, hockey fans would rather the below freezing temperatures.

Scientists have now confirmed that we have reached the feared 400 parts per million (ppm) mark of carbon in the atmosphere. “CO2 concentrations haven't been this high in millions of years. Even more alarming is the rate of increase in the last five decades and the fact that CO2 stays in the atmosphere for hundreds or thousands of years,” says Erika Podest, a carbon and water cycle scientist at NASA. “This milestone is a wake-up call that our actions in response to climate change need to match the persistent rise in CO2. Climate change is a threat to life on Earth and we can no longer afford to be spectators.”

This dangerous level of carbon in the atmosphere made 2015 the hottest year globally ever recorded. With the Earth being as sensitive as it is, these warming temperatures of even one to two degrees can have irreversible and catastrophic effects on the environment and mankind. For hockey fans, however, it means little to no pond hockey.

According to the Farmers Almanac, the town of Centereach had an average temperature of 17 degrees from Dec. 10 through Dec. 25. Every single day in that time span was below the freezing mark as compared to Dec. 10 through Dec. 25, 2012, where there was only one day below the freezing mark and an average temperature of 36 degrees. In just 67 years, there has been an average temperature rise of about 20 degrees in Centereach for the month of December.

Some might consider people who are willing to go out onto a frozen pond or lake and play a fast paced physical game are crazy. Most of these crazy people, however, know exactly when the ice is safe to skate on.

Water freezes at 32 degrees, but for a large body of water, it will need to be below the freezing temperature for some time. Lakes and ponds are great insulators for heat and because of this will need several days to several weeks for them to freeze. The shallower the water is the faster it will cool and freeze. This is why the ponds freeze from the edges to the middle. After a few days of below freezing temperatures on a shallow pond, hockey fans know that at least the shallow parts of the pond are safe to skate on. A few more days and the entire pond will be frozen.

For those Long Islanders who are waiting for the ponds to freeze over, lace up their skates and enjoy the cold air as they play their favorite game, they might have a longer wait and a shorter time frame to play than in the past.