Spoiler Alert: Minnesota weather can be a bit batty.
Over the past few years, it seems like there have been a number of large events taking place in this beautiful state we call home…however, many of them are scheduled for months with typically less than stellar weather.
This November, Minneapolis is playing host to over 3,000 healthcare finance professionals for the HFMA Annual Conference.
Whether you’re making the trek for this event or something else, here are a few things to keep in mind.
Weather
There’s a meme out there somewhere regarding the volatile nature of weather in Minnesota during certain times of the year—March/April and October/November specifically.
Those of us that are over a certain age like to recall a meteorological phenomenon we refer to as the Halloween Blizzard of ’91—point being, fall in Minnesota can be pretty dramatic. This particular year, 37 inches of snow fell over the course of about three days.
Bonus! Four weeks later, we were blanketed with another 18 inches of the cold, white stuff.
Other years, we don’t see a snowflake until after Thanksgiving and we start to wonder if we’ll get to have a white Christmas. Last year, from November 3rd-8th, most of Minnesota saw temps in the low to mid 70s.
The moral of the story is…you may want to bring the big suitcase in case Mother Nature is feeling extra snarky.
10,000 Lakes
Personal experience has shown that most people, when asked about must-see things in Minnesota, are focused on the Mall of America.
This is just a reminder that while yes, we are home to the seventh largest mall in the world (and largest in the Western Hemisphere)—we’re also home to 10,000+ (14,380 to be exact) lakes. If you have the opportunity while you’re here, get outside and check some of them out.
One of those lakes, Lake Superior, is pretty great.
The largest of the Great Lakes is also the world’s largest freshwater lake (by surface area) and holds 10% of the world’s fresh water. It is located roughly 2.5 hours from the Twin Cities and is well worth the trip to see. The North Shore is spectacular.
Minnesota Nice and Other Such Stereotypes
Minnesota Nice is a thing, I promise. Random people will greet you, hold the door for you and smile at you as you pass—for absolutely no reason. Embrace it and try to smile back. We appreciate it.
While we love our hot dish, we do eat plenty of other foods. And I’m not talking about lutefisk (go ahead and look that up if you’ve never heard of it), there are plenty of other excellent meal choices here! I recommend cheese curds to start.
The Minnesota Goodbye is not a myth. Typically, the process lasts 10-15 minutes and consists of multiple attempts at leave-taking that are interrupted with further conversation, and usually hugs. We’ll probably also walk you to the door—or even your car—and wave as you pull away.
We like to talk about the weather…a lot. See the first section above.
The best advice we can give however is to enjoy the state we call home. It is home to beautiful lakes and forests/state perks and awe-inspiring music venues. And, don’t forget to dress in layers.
Headed this way in November?
Let us know, and we will drop something in the mail to help you prepare for your trip!
