Oh, April. You can be so cruel.

High winds that whipped bursts of falling snow into short-lived whiteouts in the Twin Cities on Friday pulled people back in time and had them wishing they were under their covers. It didn't feel or look anything like a spring day in April.

Instead, it felt like February, said Michelle Margraf, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Chanhassen.

The wind howled in the Twin Cities with gusts of up to 35 mph, she said. In the west metro and areas south of the Minnesota River valley, wind gusts hit 45 mph. The in-your-face temperatures hit only 36 degrees, far from the normal high of 53 degrees.

The weather caused road havoc too. From 6 to 10:45 a.m. the State Patrol reported 59 crashes including 17 with injuries. But the patrol said there were no fatalities or serious injuries.

Of course, this is Minnesota and a winter redux in April isn't all that unusual.

Fifth-grader Iliana Vasquez had to wear her winter coat during recess this week at Community of Saints Regional Catholic School in West St. Paul.

"That's April for you," Margraf said. "It can be a roller-coaster ride."

It's also harder to accept after a March that ended as the fifth warmest on record since 1871, she said. The average temperature for March was 41.3 degrees, up from the normal average of 32.8. Even so, some in the south metro were forced to get their shovels out on March 23 when almost a foot of heavy, wet snow fell in some areas.

On Friday, the snow fell again — off and on. Monticello got 1 to 2 inches, Margraf said. And Twin Cities residents sent out a collective whine as snow squalls blew through, even though it amounted to no more than a half-inch in most places.

"They're just quick snow bursts that disappear quickly," Margraf said. "As soon as the April sun comes out, it's eating it all away."

The National Weather Service tweeted a reminder to the whiners. "Yes, snow in April is normal in MN. Average April snowfall in Twin Cities is 2.4 inches. Latest measurable snowfall on record is May 24."

And as quickly as a winter day slapped us in the face, spring will return. Saturday should be partly cloudy with temperatures in the 40s, and Sunday will feel joyful with temperatures in the 50s.

Mary Lynn Smith • 612-673-4788