All signs point to spring, except Minneapolis' lakes.
This year's extended winter has helped set a record for ice-out on several lakes, the Minneapolis Park Board said.
As of Monday afternoon, Bde Maka Ska (formerly Calhoun), Cedar, Harriet, Isles and Nokomis lakes all had ice left, except for some small spots of open water.
The Park Board said average ice-out is usually between the first week to 10 days of April, but this year there is about a two-week delay.
Previous ice-out records for Lakes Calhoun and Harriet was April 28, 1965, and tied in 2013; Cedar and Isles lakes were April 28, 2013; and Lake Nokomis was April 27, 2013. (Most records for lakes go back about 50 years.)
The Park Board expects wind and higher temperatures to help quickly melt the lakes' ice.
Meanwhile, Birch, Brownie, Diamond, Hiawatha, Loring, Wirth, Grass and Ryan lakes all broke or tied their previous records.
The state Department of National Resources says ice-out means a lake is 90 percent or completely free of ice. It takes longer for larger, deeper lakes to declare ice-out.
