TODAY APPEARED deceptively lovely. Blue sky. Sunshine. Fresh layer of snow overnight.
A rural scene along Interstate 35 north of the Northfield, Minnesota, exit.
But appearance is not reality.
On this Sunday in Southern Minnesota, the temp dipped to minus two degrees Fahrenheit by late afternoon.
A tough job on a cold day, cleaning up after a crash.
On Highway 36 in Roseville, a Minnesota state trooper faced the unenviable task of clearing debris from a crash scene. Only his cheeks and nose appeared visible from behind a black mask as he worked in the brutal cold. He faced the additional danger of two lanes of heavy traffic propelling toward him. All it would take is one inattentive driver…
Steam hangs heavy in the air during cold spells.
Near downtown Minneapolis, smokestacks billowed steam, always more prominent on days like today.
A sun dog photographed from Interstate 35 between the Northfield and Faribault exits.
As day shifted to evening, sun dogs showed up, bright columns of light flanking the sun.
Another sun dog, photographed just before the first Interstate 35 exit southbound into Faribault.
It’s been one cold day in Minnesota.
© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
And it will be a very cold night. Doesn’t it make you wonder how the pioneers made it through this stuff? We grumble and we have central heating and down comforters. They certainly were hardy.
Yes, our ancestors were definitely a hardy bunch.
My son and I were discussing this very topic the other day. Why did our forefathers move to Minnesota, of all states? Land and opportunity.
Windchill here this a.m. is minus 30.
Winter has come.. c
Oh, yes, it has. But I still see green grass in your images.
Just walked down the drive from son#2/DIL’s place. The cold HURT!!!! And it won’t be getting any better in the coming 4 days. Praying for His mercies for all………..
I hope it was a short walk.
Very short AND very quick!!!!!! LOL!
Cold is right – criminy. The car certainly didn’t appreciate being started this a.m.
And I bet a lot of folks didn’t appreciate the start of the work week either, venturing out in the cold.
The sun dogs are beautiful. Yet they make me shiver even though I am indoors. I feel bad for anyone who was out in that yesterday.
We drove an hour north to visit our eldest and her husband yesterday afternoon. Along with my winter outerwear, I also slipped into my practical winter boots. Not fashion boots. Warm leather boots with thick felted liners. I grew up traveling prepared. Boots on the feet. Hat on the head, or at least along. Warm gloves or mittens. Good training from Mom to always be prepared.
It sounds like the way I was raised and my kids are taught to do the same. Better to be safe than sorry.
Got that right. Can’t mess around with this kind of cold weather.
I remember standing at the bus stop in my sophomore year in Marshall. I looked like a grizzly bear I was so bundled up. Cold trumped high school vanity every time in Minnesota. Brrrrr. Your photos convey that sense of cold beautifully.
I’m laughing because I picture you looking like my son did yesterday, bundled in his parka, hood up, only glasses and a bit of forehead and cheeks exposed. His sister termed him an alien.
That’s pretty much it. My girlfriend and I used to swim at the pool at Southwest State University in Marshall and walk home. This is back in the seventies when we all had long hair. We used to let our wet hair freeze on our heads and thought that was so cool – no pun intended. This naturally would not have gone over well with our mothers had they know.
Now that is pure craziness.
Winters on the prairie, as you know, are among the most brutal.
We were young…..😁😁😁
Being young can explain a lot of behavior.
Love the Sun Dogs 🙂 I do not miss that COLD in the Frozen Tundra – where all skin pretty much has to be covered – makes me cold thinking about it – BRRR!!!
Yes, as we were driving home the Cities last Sunday afternoon, the son remarked that the current temp in Boston was 42 degrees compared to our minus two. No wonder he’s ready to fly back East soon.
We had a day of snow/ice with a cold snap last week – in the 20’s which is typical in getting a week or two in the 20’s. It is in the 50’s here now. Plus at a higher elevation here and get about 360 days of sun, so I wear sunscreen every day.
That sounds like more sunshine than one state needs. So please pack some and send to Minnesota.
I will do that and check out my blog for some sunny pics 🙂
Alright, sunny pix will be a treat.
Brrr cold weather there! I realize that Alaska is expected to have cold weather and it does. Today the temps in the surrounding area of where I am range from minus 22 to minus 41 F, however a sign malfunctioned on one of our major roads and showed the temperature at 216 degrees above. Now that would be way too hot! It seems that the human body is designed to operate most efficiently at 65 to 75 degree but yet we insist on living in areas much hotter or colder and thus must make an artificial environment to live in i.e. heating systems and air conditioning systems! Humans are funny animals……………………..
When you return to Minnesota some day, our winters will seem tropical. Am I right?
Tropical, right you are! Can’t wait!
In the meantime, parka up.
Minnesota cold for sure. Love the sundog pics…so pretty.
And I bet you’re enjoying every minute of this cold, aren’t you?