Minn. Thaws Out On Warmest Day So Far In 2014

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Sunday was the perfect day to get out and thaw out a little bit.

With temperatures reaching the 60s in much of the metro, it was the nicest day of the year so far.

"I just love it," Kasia Piontek, from Excelsior, said. "I want summer."

In the town of Excelsior, Minn., the opening of a local ice cream parlor signifies the "official" start to spring.

"My husband came, smelled the waffle cones being made and rode over and shouted they were open," Rennie Piontek, from Excelsior, said. "I think I screamed louder than my kids did."

The ice cream shop, "Licks Unlimited," has been serving up scoops for 30 years. Every year, owner Loran Lessard decides when it's time to open for the season.

"Because of the 60 degree day we thought we would hit the switch and go for it," Lessard said.

The place was packed, but it wasn't just ice cream drawing folks out in the 60s. Families were biking, sipping iced coffees on the open patios, and playing at the parks along Lake Minnetonka.

"We were going to have a movie day, but then we were like, 'oh, it's nice out, let's go outside,'" Madi Henry, from Excelsior, said.

In a town that's become a summer destination for people heading to the lake, the warm weather brings business and the community to life.

"You can get ice cream, you can go swimming, and you can play Frisbee, so I think the nice weather is helpful to the city," Mitch Ihlang, from Chanhassen, said.

The cooler temperatures will be returning this week, but the taste of spring brings hope for the warmer days ahead.

"It's going to be fun, we're going to spend more time out here," Chris Burns, from Chanhassen, said.