The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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March 21, 2010

Warm temperatures have meant a wet, ugly start to spring

By Amanda Dyslin Free Press Features Editor

Dirty just might be the right word to describe the first day of spring, which officially kicked off Saturday.

The dozens of inches of snow packed high in yards, parking lots and along curbs have all but completely melted away, with just a few mud-dusted piles left here and there. What has this meant in the river towns of Minnesota? Flooding, of course, albeit not too serious as of yet.

The more mild consequence of melted snow is the lack of scenery this time of year.

The puddle-filled potholes, the squashed-down brown grass, the mud-caked sidewalks. And, as some area residents pointed out, it certainly doesn’t help that the sky was overcast for the first couple of weeks of March.

“It’d be a lot nicer if the sun came out,” said Brittany Katuin on Facebook before the sun broke free on Wednesday.

Still, the warm temperatures of March have allowed for some small celebrations of the coming of spring. Bikes are being ridden around town. Little birds are chirping from the bare branches of trees. People are walking to work again.

Mark McCullough of North Mankato has been enjoying one of life’s small pleasures again.

“I’ve been driving with the windows rolled down,” he said.

Britt Fleming has also been loving the change of season.

“After the winter we had, this is nice. The grass is greening up nicely, and the trees are beginning to glow with buds. It just keeps getting better.”

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