Families were primed for spring when the temperatures reached the 50s last week, and were grumpy this week when the snow returned. But before you mentally check out on winter for the year, you might want to check out the cool spring break ski deal at Lutsen.

Beyond free rentals and lessons for a family of four, my favorite part is that Lutsen guarantees snow on 40 of its runs through April 10. (Otherwise, you can cancel your reservation at no cost.) And they mean it! Temperatures surged into the 60s in early April last year. The plows at Lutsen stripped snow off of the closed runs overnight and packed it on top of the open ones in a last-ditch effort to keep them skiiable.

Stuff to do series:

  1. Pavek Museum of Broadcasting.
  2. Spring Skiing in Lutsen.

This is a good deal for families who see Lutsen or lift tickets in general as too pricey. The snow was sloppy last year -- and Lutsen probably fell short on its guarantee of open runs -- but my family loved the chance to ski in short-sleeves one day. (And yes, that's my little dude in yellow snowplowing down the hill.) This year, the temps might remain lower, but the snow base looks better. Lutsen is reporting a base of 40 to 70 inches and that 95 percent of its primary runs are open.

Oh, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that other resorts are up and running still as well. Giants Ridge reports a snow base ranging from 46 to 64 inches. It certainly looked good, anyway, at last week's Slush Cup. Check out this kid!