Growing up in the state of Minnesota, I know how much Minnesotans like to talk about the weather, and how much it impacts our daily lives and overall happiness. With this April’s record snowfall and 70 degree weather just one week later, there is much to talk about when it comes to the current weather happenings.

Just two weeks ago, April 13-16, the Twin Cities area was hit with a record snowstorm. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the blizzard was the largest April single snowfall on record, and took the 12^th place on the list for largest snowfalls in the Twin Cities from 1891-2018.

As a student at the University of Minnesota, you could just feel the weight of the snowstorm on the entire campus. The snow canceled all weekend plans, and everyone was stuck inside their dorms and apartments, as going anywhere or doing anything seemed less and less possible as more and more snow continued to fall. Walking around on campus on Monday, you could feel an overall melancholy attitude encompass the entire campus, as students were annoyed at having to pull out their winter boots in the middle of April, and climbing over huge piles of snow just to enter the academic buildings for class.

However, just a week later, this past Monday, April 23, the attitude on campus totally changed. The afternoon temps reached 70 degrees, and it was basically summer, as students were walking around and sitting outside in tanks, shorts and sandals. It was amazing to see the transformation of the big green space on campus from one Monday to the next.

I was reminded what it felt like to want to be outside, an urge I haven’t felt in months. As I walked around campus admiring all of the students sitting outside and taking in the sunshine, I completely forgot about the angriness I felt just the Monday before as I trudged through the snow and tried not to slip on ice. My Monday blues disappeared, and my spirits were instantly lifted as I took in the fresh air and sunshine. Spring has finally arrived.

As we head into next week and the calendar turns from April to May, temperatures have a chance of reaching 80 degrees. Yes, 80 DEGREES! Maybe, just maybe, Minnesota weather isn’t all that bad after all!