The Canadian Birkebeiner Ski Festival has been cancelled due to extreme cold.

Long-range weather forecast for Saturday predicts temperatures below the event's –25 C cutoff.

"This year, we thought the snow was fantastic, the trails are fantastic, we've got tons of snow — beautiful. But it's too cold," said Dave Cooper, president of the Canadian Birkebeiner Society. "You just can't win … mother nature is not nice to us."

Cooper said he's crushed the event was cancelled after volunteers worked so hard to put it together.

It's the sixth time the event, held at the Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area, about 45 kilometres east of Edmonton, has been cancelled since 1985. While this year's cause for cancellation was cold weather, some past events have been called off because there wasn't enough snow.

The race won't be rescheduled, as co-ordinating volunteers, park rangers and equipment rentals for another date would be too difficult, Cooper said.

"There's just too many loose parts," he said. "I know it sounds like an easy solution, but it's too complicated for us to do."

More than 1,000 skiers registered for the event, including Mike Stern, a member of the organizing committee. He said he's disappointed to miss out on what would have been his 22nd year participating in the Birkie.

"There's a hell of a lot of effort involved in putting on this race," Stern said.

"As a skier, you spend most of the winter sort of practising and getting fit for this event. And it's a little bit of a letdown when it's cancelled. But totally understandable under the circumstances."

The cold snap forced an emergency meeting for organizers Monday in an effort to salvage the race.

Organizers initially moved back the start time and shortened the course. But by Tuesday afternoon, it was clear the weekend weather would be too cold.

"The decision for our non-profit society to cancel has been long and difficult," the organization said in a news release. "We explored every option to keep our skiers and volunteers safe.

"But with the balance – and temperatures – tipping into the truly dangerous zone, the only decision is to cancel the adult ski events."

The kids' ski events are postponed to Feb. 17 at William Hawrelak Park in Edmonton.