In the space of 24 hours this weekend, a tale of two Minnesota seasons emerged.
Winter and spring collided on Sunday, with the aftermath of Saturday's snowstorm collapsing roofs even as a sudden thaw under sunny skies opened up teeth-jarring potholes on the roadways.
Most of the Twin Cities metro area didn't see the foot of snow initially predicted, instead getting from 4 to 7 inches. But in other parts of the state, and in western Wisconsin and eastern North Dakota, much heavier, wet snow caused a number of alarming structure problems.
Most dramatically, a 50-by-75-foot section of the roof over the kitchen area at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Moorhead, Minn., fell in about noon Sunday. Only two people were in the church at the time, and they got out safely, authorities said.
Moorhead's Deputy Fire Chief Benton Hicks told KFGO Radio that it was a "miracle" no one was hurt when the roof section fell "flat to the ground."
On the church's Facebook page, director of music and worship Bonnie Lee wrote, "A Sunday morning miracle! Praise God! This morning the roof over the parish center collapsed on our beautiful church. As terrible as it was, no one was hurt. Why? Because of the storm, we had canceled mass and all activities for Sunday. Canceling mass is almost unheard of … but we knew people would have a lot of digging out to do, so the masses were canceled, the pancake breakfast was canceled, the youth meetings were canceled. Thank God! There would've been countless people in the parish center this morning."
In Winona, Minn., the ceiling above the pool at a Holiday Inn Express fell in. In Plainview, Minn., a roof came down on a man's collection of classic cars. And in Eau Claire, Wis., the roof at a Holiday gas station caved in, as did that of the fire station in White Lake, Wis.
Little snow is expected in the next few days, which will feature mild temperatures and lots of rain. But spring comes with its own challenges.
