Our View: This extreme cold defines who we are

Winter in Minnesota is rarely routine. With all the snow and cold we get in northern Minnesota, it’s the perfect place to hold an ice fishing contest, or a snowmobile exhibition, or a sled dog event. Yet some winters, those things are canceled … because there’s no snow. Or it’s too warm. Or even because it’s so cold.

Our ski hills have been mostly closed for a week. Who would ski when the temperature barely gets above zero degrees? Not many. And of course there are health risks that go with being outside in the extreme cold. (A number of Nordic skiers are still going out daily, we note, like Ann Markusen. See Page 12.)

Still, we are heartened by the resilience of our friends and neighbors in northern Minnesota. Many of us complain about the weather but few of us move away because of it. Some wise souls, usually older or retired, may spend their winters in warmer climates, but even they seemingly enjoy reading their hometown newspaper and hearing from their friends back home about how cold it is here. And we suspect they are bragging to their friends that they, too, shouldered the cold Minnesota weather when they were younger. Those of us who stay behind take a certain pride in this extreme weather. It keeps the weak and meek out; makes us sturdy, strong and appreciative.

We see this attitude, especially this past week when we’ve struggled to get daytime temperatures above zero. But the cold weather differs from a snowstorm. When it’s this cold, we stay in. Stores are empty, traffic is lighter, hardly anyone is walking outside. After a blizzard, we often see people out and about, as if to show that we are stronger than any snowstorm. But the extreme cold seems to get the best of us, if only by a small degree. We’re still strong. But we stay inside.

But our resilience is what makes living in northern Minnesota so special. We know the weather will ease up. The snow will thaw, the temperatures will rise, the days are getting longer, and it won’t be long before we get out the summer clothes and beging swatting mosquito. Remember those pesky mosquitoes? We bring that up to remind you that maybe this cold spell isn’t so bad. Be patient, be safe, be helpful and remember that spring is right around the corner.