MPR’s Eric Jansen reports on the unusually warm temperatures for this time of year, which brought Minnesotans out by the droves into the sunshine, enjoying weather some describe as more like spring than fall. People in Minneapolis were blading, biking, running and strolling around Lake Calhoun.
Temperatures in November of 1998 were 3.6 degrees above normal in Minnesota. In the first week of December, Minnesota was about 19.3 degrees above normal. The warm autumn was a continuation of warm temperatures experienced throughout much of 1998. Another result of this warmth was the number of days without below zero temperatures in many southern Minnesota communities.
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ERIC JANSEN: Many Minnesotans are practically giddy, enjoying weather some describe as more like spring than fall. Folks were blading, biking, running, and strolling around Lake Calhoun. Lois Cermak of Saint Louis Park, walking with friend Phyllis Guberman, says she can't remember a day this warm this time of year,
SPEAKER 1: Right around Thanksgiving, never. I don't recall ever seeing it like this. This has got to be a record breaker. It's supposed to get up to 60 or 62 or something. That's just unheard of.
ERIC JANSEN: And you don't mind too much?
SPEAKER 1: Oh, I love it.
ERIC JANSEN: Tim McManus was jogging in shorts. He says it's the first time he's done so on the day after Thanksgiving in the 10 years he's lived in the neighborhood. How long would you like this weather to last?
SPEAKER 2: I don't mind seeing it last like this until May.
ERIC JANSEN: You don't have to have a white Christmas.
SPEAKER 2: I don't need to have a white Christmas. I can go further North if I need that.
ERIC JANSEN: But some wanted a white Thanksgiving.
SPEAKER 3: They came up from Tennessee hoping to see snow.
ERIC JANSEN: Oh.
SPEAKER 3: There's no snow.
ERIC JANSEN: Angela Gilliland's mom and younger brother, Michael, came for the holiday weekend. He says they were disappointed not to see real snow.
SPEAKER 4: She sends out postcards like snow cards, but we haven't seen it actually with our two eyes.
ERIC JANSEN: At Calhoun cycle, three blocks from the lake, Louis Gorder says the warm weather is good for his bike rental business.
SPEAKER 5: Today, it's definitely a good day to be open because most people the day off and they can come in and rent and do what they want to do, especially on a nice day like this.
ERIC JANSEN: The proprietor of a skate rental shop across the street, however, says the warm weather has made business goofy. He's got ice skates on the shelves, ready to rent, but has sold or stored for the winter, most of his inline skates. Farther North, ski resort operators would like to see more cold weather with plenty of white stuff. Spirit Mountain, just South of Duluth, is hosting this weekend's Duluth National Snocross, a snowmobile all terrain race. Marketing director BrianA Schaub says resorts and race officials were worried by the lack of snow, but think they've made enough to last through the weekend.
BRIANA SCHAUB: We were able to get the snow guns going at night when the temperatures dropped and we had all of our snow guns concentrated on that area. And so we got a big enough base built to where they could build the course. And they started laps at noon. So it's holding out and it's doing really good. We've also got one run open for skiers and snowboarders and they're all out there having fun.
ERIC JANSEN: Schaub predicts more than 1,000 participants for the Snocross events and nearly 30,000 spectators. She says they were all outside with plenty of sunscreen as the mercury hit 60 degrees by 2 PM. In the Twin Cities, today's high was about 62 degrees. Weather forecasters predict a bit cooler day tomorrow, with the high in the Twin Cities of near 60 degrees. I'm Eric Jansen, Minnesota Public Radio.