'Winter Is The Best': Minnesotans Embrace Outdoor Activities Despite Colder Temps

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Even though temperatures across the state are lower than normal, Minnesotans were out and about Saturday enjoying the great outdoors in spite of the weather.

Don Potter was out with his dog, and they made a stop at Hyland Hills Ski Area in Bloomington.

"We just came by to see if they were making snow yet," Potter said.

And they are. The snow machines are going to be on 24/7 until the temperatures warm up.

"It's amazing," Potter said. "I live real close to here and I can't believe how quickly they can make this much snow."

Potter said he's ready for the change of seasons.

"I like the change in seasons. I really do. We work out all year-round in the snow, so it's just another season, just another element," Potter said. "We really enjoy it all."

Gage Morgan was out in the cold with his dog, too, at the Flying Cloud Dog Park in Eden Prairie, and he prepared for the weather.

"(My hat is) made of rabbit fur. It's the warmest hat you will ever find. It looks kind of dorky, but you know what? We live in the northland here, you got to do what you got to do," he said.

Jerry Mullin and his buddies embraced the cold at St. Louis Park's outdoor ice rink. They don't mind the cold one bit.

"It's not too bad. I wasn't ready for it at first, but now I'm 100 percent in," Mullin said. "Winter is the best."

And to think, winter is still more than a month away.

All of the area ski hills are making snow. Both Wild Mountain and Buck Hill are open.