Out-Of-Towners Shocked By Arctic Blast
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- As uncomfortable as Wednesday has been, most Minnesotans have seen temperatures like this before.
But for some, it was unlike anything they've ever experienced.
Moving from South Carolina to Minnesota was a bit of a shock to my system. Now that I've been through a few winters, I got to step back and watch Wednesday as some out-of-towners got their first taste of Minnesota.
The only jacket Richard Howell brought with him from Kentucky for the week was a blazer. He says he minimized his outdoor time.
"Two blocks, it wasn't a good event," Howell said.
He was among the 1,500 out-of-towners in the Twin Cities from United Rental's company meetings.
Pete Gibbs was in town for the convention from Greenville, South Carolina.
"My wife actually laughed about it because she knew I was gonna be up here in the cold weather and she was gonna be down there in the warmer weather," Gibbs said.
Their impression wasn't all bad. Attendee Chris Munsey, also from Greenville, was impressed by how we cope with it all.
"A city like this can actually deal with that type of weather, where as at home if we have a dusting and it's 28 degrees, everything shuts down," Munsey said.
Kristen Montag with Meet Minneapolis visitors' association says it can be a tough sell to draw conventions in the winter.
"The key is making sure people know it's not cold all year round," Montag said.
She says large conventions like this are rare in winter. Typical winter tourists are from Canada or North Dakota, but they're open.
"We're always welcoming people from other climates to come try it and realize it's really not that bad most of the time," she said.
And even though visitors aren't as plentiful as they are in July, they're still out there. Dan Siekmann is in town to work production for the Phoenix Suns game.
"Now I had to pull out the scarf, I haven't worn this in like two years," Siekmann said.
It may be outside their comfort zones, but visitors will be leaving town with a story to tell.
"I'm gonna tell them to get in a bathtub full of ice and they'll know exactly how it feels up here," he said.
Meet Minneapolis says they have several promotions and cut hotel rates to try and boost winter tourism. Click here for more information.