Meet the Minnesotans longing for a snowy winter

Like the white flakes that flew from the sky in parts of the state Wednesday, thoughts of the first measurable snow in Minnesota can be a whirlwind. It’s not just weather for some people. Many Minnesotans, some with an almost childlike glee, anticipate what a fresh landscape in white represents: A tangible sign that winter is finally here.

There will be snow to move, to play in, to navigate. There are shovels to pull out, or snow throwers to gas up; boots, gloves and snow pants for digging out. Ski bases and snowboard edges get new attention, as does the sled in the garage rafters.

“We’re like little kids. We’re ready,” said Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Senior Climatologist Kenny Blumenfeld.

For some, the wait has felt too long. Last winter was one of the warmest and most snow-free on record. Parts of northern Minnesota average more than 70 inches in the winter, but Duluth only had about 39 inches. The metro total was just 29½ inches, according to the Minnesota Climatology Office at the DNR, and most areas of the state saw 30 to 70 days after Dec. 1, 2023, with nothing on the ground. The memory makes the prospect of a significant snowfall extra charged this year, especially for those whose leisure and work lives are closely linked to the weather.

“Many of us begin to crave it. It’s almost instinctive. We feel ready for that change,” Blumenfeld said. “Snow is a great way to create that because it redesigns the landscape.”

Winter brings back fond memories for his colleague Pete Boulay, who recalled that as a child he recognized the stillness of winter before big snowstorms and listened to the weather radio. “There’s always waiting for the first snow, and if you don’t have the first snow and it’s past Thanksgiving, it starts to get a little depressing. You already start to realize that we’ve lost part of winter,” he said .

Author and writer Ryan Rodgers has been around his family’s 10 acres north of Lester Park in Duluth, going through seasonal routines. There is firewood to cut, for example, to predict what he is also thinking: snowfall. If the pile of wood is not split, it is buried.

Rodgers anticipates the change in the countryside. After a big snow, especially on sunny days, he can go to a favorite spot on his property: a hammock. Surrounded in autumn by dense raspberry and other vines and under birch trees, the location is exposed in winter with views in all directions.