Is Winter Really Over Yet?

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- If there's one constant about Minnesota weather, it's that it can change at a moment's notice.

So, after a string of nice days behind us and a forecast of warmer weather ahead: Is winter really over? Good Question.

"Seeing color, getting in the yard, being outside with family, waving to the neighbor from the front stoop -- all these things mean so much more now than ever," says Sarah Davies, general manager of Sunnyside Gardens in Minneapolis. "Some guests that come in want to go straight to summer planting."

Davies says her team has to hold those customers back because it's still a little early.

"We've had a very typical April-like forecast," says Pete Boulay, Assistant Minnesota State Climatologist.

That would be a few above-average temperature days followed by a rainy, cold stretch. That's nothing compared to the 26 inches of snow that came down in the metro during April 2018.

The average 50/50 frost date for the metro area is April 25th. That means half the time the latest frost date is later and half the time it's earlier. Boulay says the more important date to pay attention to is May 10th, when frost is unlikely in the metro area.

Davies says some things can be planted – pansies, thyme, rosemary and tarragon. For more tender plants, like tomatoes, basil, cucumbers and peppers, it's a good idea to wait. She says those plants are sensitive to nighttime temperatures of below 50 degrees.

"How lucky do you feel," Boulay asked. "Where you live matters a lot."