Vikings Fans Tailgate Despite Bitter Cold, Wind Chills
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO/AP) — Despite the outcome, Minnesota Vikings fans showed up on Sunday with the best of intentions.
WCCO's Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield found out they were optimistic about the team, and the -20 degree weather.
What a difference a couple of months can make. The leisurely tailgates of September and October are but a memory.
In the crispness of Sunday morning, the lots were much emptier. Tailgating space wasn't quite as coveted as it was a few months back.
Some fans popped up ice fishing tents. Cardboard made a makeshift floor to separate them from the heat. The Carlson family had a tent, cardboard heater and a slow cooker. Missy Carlson told WCCO, "We are crazy, all of our friends will say it but we love it, we're diehard Vikings fans."
The freeze hit some right in the face, many a frozen beard. Kelly O'Keefe of Aberdeen, South Dakota showed us her frozen hair. She also showed us her handmade creations.
"A mitten coozie keeping your beers cold and your hands warm since 2013," she said.
On a day when they had everything to complain about, fans smiled, toasted and cheered, taking pride in Minnesota's defining feature.
And even though it may not be the game, those Vikings fans totally have something to brag about.
Fans told Susan-Elizabeth one thing that made tailgating easier was that unlike last season, they knew they'd be watching the game indoors.
Temperatures fell to minus-20 at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and even lower in the suburbs Sunday morning. The mercury plunged into the 30-below range in some parts of northeastern Minnesota. By Sunday afternoon wind chills in the minus-20s were still common.
The cold prompted organizers of the Holidazzle festivities in Minneapolis to cancel the day's events.
But a warm-up is in sight. Temperatures are forecast to reach the low 20s above zero in Minneapolis on Monday and top 30 on Tuesday.
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