March 30, 2001 - A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, ON THIS DATE, IT WAS 73 DEGREES. THE ICE WAS GONE OFF OF LAKE WACONIA, AND LAKES CALHOUN AND HARRIET IN MINNEAPOLIS. TODAY, THERE'S STILL ABOUT EIGHT INCHES OF SNOW ON THE GROUND, AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN CHANHASSEN....UP TO TWO FEET STILL REMAINS AT THE TIP OF THE ARROWHEAD, AROUND GRAND MARAIS. JUST HOW LONG WILL THE SNOW HANG ON? MARK SEELY CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION THIS MORNING, HE'S IN GREAT BRITAIN. STILL STATESIDE IS PAUL DOUGLAS, CHEIF METEORGIST WITH WCCO TV.
April 2, 2001 - Duluth's restaurant smoking ban - now three months old - is generating more controversy than ever. A few restaurants are openly defying the ordinance. Supporters of the ban say it just needs more time. Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Hemphill reports. {Duluth's restaurant smoking ban has been complicated and confusing from the time it was first proposed. And oddly enough, both supporters and detractors agree on what's causing the biggest problem - the exemptions built into the law. Bars and bowling alleys are exempt. Restaurants that show a 15% loss of business can also get an exemption. To complicate matters further, after 8:00 at night, restaurants that are also bars CAN allow smoking.
April 2, 2001 - If clear skies prevail, the Northern Lights could provide viewers a spectacular show tonight. Astronomers are predictinga colorful display because of an enormous sun spot explosion last Thursday. Astronomer's say the magnetic sun spot or solar storm occurs in eleven year cycles. Bob Bonadurer, director of the Minneapolis Planetarium, says this is the cycle's peak:
April 3, 2001 - A lot of the rivers around the state are starting to flow, but the Minnesota River is the closest to cresting.
April 9, 2001 - Workers are rushing to keep the city of Breckenridge dry. The city sits at the confluence of the Otter Tail and Bois De Sioux Rivers which form the Red River of the North. With memories of the historic 1997 flood still fresh in most people's minds, crews work non-stop over the weekend to keep rising water out. Current projections by the national weather service say flood waters will crest slightly above 1997's levels. Mainstreet Radios Bob Reha reports..
April 9, 2001 - The possibility of getting 3/4 of an inch to 1 1/2 inches of rain could mean higher waters.
April 9, 2001 - A dike is being made on Harriet Island.
April 9, 2001 - The Minnesota River is expected to crest seven-feet above flood stage on Saturday in Granite Falls. The town has constructed an emergency levee across the street from City Hall and is suplementing that with sandbags. Bill Lavin is the city manager of Granite Falls. He says the town needs lots of volunteers to help:
April 9, 2001 - The city of Crookston narrowly avoided disaster early this morning when ice jams caused the Red Lake River to jump two feet in a matter of minutes. The river is *now* slowly dropping, but city officials are concerned waterlogged levees may fail if rain later this week pushes the river higher again. Mainstreet Radios Dan Gunderson reports.
April 10, 2001 - Flood fighters across Minnesota are watching the river, and the skies. With a lot of rain in the forecast, river crest projections have been raised across the region. Along the Red River in the north, devastated by the flood of 1997, officials say they are confident they can handle the higher water levels, although some will add a couple more feet to their dikes. Along the Minnesota River and the Mississippi, where communities had problems in 97, but on a lesser scale, there's now greater concern. National Weather Service Hydrologist Gary McDevitt says taking projected rainfall over the next few days into account, there could be record water levels.