Warm December weather brought people out to Bde Maka Ska for some rare winter sun Wednesday.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Beach volleyball is not uncommon, but playing beach volleyball in December in Minnesota is not what a group of students said they are used to as temperatures jumped to 50 degrees Wednesday afternoon.
“It’s definitely crazy because we’ve never been playing this late in the season,” said Minneapolis resident Lauren Kelly.
Kelly joined four other high school students who told FOX 9 the warmer days provide a break from being stuck inside the house taking virtual classes since the pandemic began.
“It’s a lot, [taking classes] online because you’re just staring at a screen all day,” Kelly added. “When you get to play outside, you get to relax and release some of that stress.”
“It’s great to have this group of friends and get to the beach to have some sort of personal interaction,” said high school senior Andrew Wilson.
Residents taking a stroll through Bde Maka Ska Park said they’re soaking in the warmer temperatures because they know it won’t last.
“It’s a gift,” said Aaron Isaacs. “We’ve got a long winter ahead of us and this moves that back.”
Yet the question on everyone’s mind: will the chilled winter winds blow in anytime soon? Or does this pseudo-spring have a little life left?
“It sticks around until just about Christmas,” said FOX 9 Chief Meteorologist, Ian Leonard. “The easy answer is this trend isn’t going to end anytime soon.”
Leonard added that warm weather in December is not unusual in Minnesota.
“In the last five years, we’ve gone into Christmas without any snow,” he said. “Our record high temperature for Dec. 9 is 58 degrees. That was set back in the 1930s.”