Minnesotans Ready For Spring, Snow Has Other Ideas
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Standing in a line on the sidewalk along First Avenue in downtown, Erica Bock toughed out the chilly Sunday afternoon in her spring jacket.
"I was hoping for 40 degrees and sunny," she said as thick snowflakes gently rained down around her.
Her hope was met by a gloomy reality that spring has not sprung yet in Minnesota.
"It's been awful, it's been really terrible," said Stone Fritz. He was standing in the same line along with dozens of other music fans eager to see the AJR concert at the Music Hall.
"It's really cold, but like adrenaline, (I'm) hyped up for the concert so it's worth it," said Bock.
The snow couldn't stop the show inside the venue, but it did just up the block at Target Field. The finale of the Twins opening home series against the Seattle Mariners was postponed due to weather, scheduled for a make-up game May 14.
Grace Elling said her parents were supposed to be at Sunday's game but instead, "They went over to my sister's house for dinner."
Flurries, not fans filled the seats at Target Field less than a week after crews spent hours clearing snow ahead of the home opener.
Shoveling out is almost annual April tradition since the stadium's inaugural season in 2010. But how often has winter weather postponed a Twins home game since then?
"Probably 10 maybe," Elling thought.
"I would guess it's not very much," answered Fritz.
It happened twice in 2013 and much later in the month, on April 14 and 22.
A year later, fans were turned away on April 15 thanks to snow.
Winter held off on the Twins and much of Minnesota for the next several Aprils until this year, bringing along teeth-chattering temperatures that have people ready to skip spring and walk straight into summer. People who went to Saturday's Twins game experienced first pitch at 27 degrees, a record low for Target Field.
"The cold, the snow, walking here was slippery," said Fritz. "Nothing about it's fun. I'd rather be warm."
Rain has postponed eight April games at Target field since it opened in 2010. Add the "snow-outs" and that brings the total to 12 for that specific month.