Snow is exÂpectÂed to reÂturn to the Twin Cities area MonÂday night. If that inÂspires you to enÂgage in some traÂdiÂtionÂal outÂdoor fun, your opÂporÂtuniÂties are fadÂing fast.
Fish housÂes must be pulled from the ice by midÂnight MonÂday in the lowÂer two-thirds of Minnesota.
Ice rinks are in variÂous stages of shutÂdown in St. Paul and Minneapolis. WarmÂing housÂes are closed in Minneapolis as of SunÂday night, and floodÂing and mainÂteÂnance has been disÂconÂtinÂued at all but the reÂfrigerÂatÂed rinks in St. Paul.
"Based on curÂrent weathÂer foreÂcasts, the skatÂing seaÂson is quickÂly comÂing to an end," St. Paul parks spokesÂman Brad Meyer said SunÂday.
But snow is back, or at least exÂpectÂed to be. A SunÂday National WeathÂer Service forecast preÂdicts up to 3 inchÂes beÂtween mid-evening MonÂday and 6 p.m. TuesÂday, and Paul Douglas predicts 2 to 4 inches.
It's been a while. Tony Zaleski, a foreÂcastÂer with the National WeathÂer Service in Chanhassen, said "the last time we had anyÂthing like this" was when 3 inchÂes fell at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Jan. 8.
The heaviÂest snowÂfall, perÂhaps up to 2 inchÂes, is exÂpectÂed beÂtween 6 a.m. and noon TuesÂday, Zaleski said.
Temperatures through the week will remain below freezing, with daytime highs in the teens and 20s, and some subzero temps for lows.
At the state Department of NatÂuÂral Resources, ofÂfiÂcials say dark housÂes, fish housÂes and portÂables must be reÂmoved by 11:59 p.m. MonÂday in the southern part of the state and by 11:59 p.m. March 16 in the northÂern one-third.
Enforcement acÂtion will be takÂen if shelters reÂmain afÂter the deadÂlines, the DNR said last week.
People still can skate outÂdoors in the citÂies, but in the case of St. Paul, "if the ice beÂcomes chopÂpy and slushÂy, we'll then reÂstrict access," Meyer said.
In Minneapolis, Ronnie Morgan, an adÂminÂisÂtraÂtive asÂsistÂant at McÂRae Park, had hoped its warmÂing house could reÂmain open for one more week. But SunÂday marked the end of the seaÂson for the warmÂing area at Lake of the Isles, and an employee there who deÂclined to give her name said there was a good turnÂout on the fiÂnal day and night.
She was heard to say, "See you guys next year," before hanging up the phone.
Anthony Lonetree • 651-925-5036