Minus 17° Below? Get Ready for Official Start of Twin Cities’ Spring Housing Market

“Retail Winter” vs. “Meteorological Winter”

Scarcely one week after local wind chills of minus 50°(!) below — and with overnight temps of minus 17° below forecast this Friday night — you might think it a tad, umm . . . premature to herald the end of Winter in the Twin Cities.

But, it’s most certainly the end of Retail Winter.

Don’t believe me?

Just try to find a pair of winter gloves (extra-large), a flannel shirt, or turtleneck at a Twin Cities area Target (I just did — no luck).

What’s on the shelves instead (or about to be)? Swimsuits, suntan lotion, and flip-flops. Really.

Which segues into my long-time definition of when the Spring housing market officially debuts in the Twin Cities:  “the first stretch of warm weather, after the Super Bowl . . . or when Target starts selling swimsuits.”

P.S.: For non-Minnesotans, “warm” is defined as above 20° degrees. 🙂

See also, “When Does the Twin Cities Spring Market Officially Debut?“; “Approaching the Half-Way Point of the Spring Housing Market (Really!)“; and “Jumping the (Spring Market) Housing Gun.”



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