Labor shortages, hot weather causing some ice shortages in Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Keeping cool this summer has become more of a challenge for people wanting to buy bags of ice.

Reddy Ice, a national supplier with a facility in Colorado Springs, explains on its phone welcome message that a lack of workers because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and issues related to making and distributing ice, have caused some delay in deliveries.

A Family Dollar store on South Academy Boulevard hasn't received a shipment of ice for at least two days, and signs at the entrance inform customers that the store is out of ice.

A delivery truck from Reddy arrived with a shipment late Friday afternoon but the freezer couldn't be restocked.

"It has a layer of ice on the bottom," the delivery driver said. "So we have to wait a few days for it to melt. It might be a week before we can come back."

The driver also said that Reddy's Colorado Springs facility can't make ice fast enough, so it's being shipped in from Texas.

Some convenience store managers told KRDO NewsChannel 13 that they aren't having ice shortages so far, or just recently received deliveries.

Other convenience stores avoid potential shortages by making their own ice.

Many customers said that they avoid running out of ice for picnics, coolers and other situations by using automatic ice machines like one located on Omaha Boulevard.

"These machines are more reliable," a customer said Thursday. "I'm moving this weekend and have people coming over to help, so I've got to have ice."

The labor and supply chain predicament, along with consistently hot weather this week, have combined to increase normal summer demand for ice.