Minnetonka to See Colder Than Usual First Day of Spring

Minnetonka may be just emerging from a winter storm that dumped snow on the Twin Cities and created blizzard conditions in some parts of the state, but Wednesday marks the first day of spring and the promise of warmer weather ahead.

Minnetonka won’t see the warmer weather immediately, though. Wednesday’s high is supposed to be 18 degrees, while its low is supposed to be 1 degree.

That’s a far cry from Twin Cities’ record high of 66 degrees set in 1938, but it’s also warmer than the record low of -9 degrees set in 1965, according to the National Weather Service.

Still, Minnetonka remains colder than usual this year. Since 1981, Minneapolis-St. Paul’s March 20 high has averaged 43 degrees while the low has averaged 26 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

The first day of spring is marked by the vernal equinox, when days and nights are equal everywhere and the sun rises and sets due east and west, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.