The Madness is over ... almost. The worst weather is, too. Probably. With those things in mind, here are two points to ponder today:

• Even if you have Final Four fatigue or a basketball hangover, try to hang in there for one more day and check out the NCAA women's championship game tonight between Louisville and UConn (7:30, ESPN). Turns out the real Big East powers were in women's hoops, not men's.

As you watch, consider that Louisville might have cost Oklahoma's Courtney Paris $64,000. The Sooners lost to Louisville in the national semifinals; Paris said in a speech earlier this season that she would give back her scholarship money -- valued at close to $64K -- if Oklahoma didn't win the national title. On Monday, she reiterated that pledge.

"I have a passion for our fans and university, and I want to do something special," Paris told the Oklahoman. "That's why I put my scholarship on the table. I meant what I said."

• For you weather buffs and amateur gripers (and yes, we realize that many Minnesota weather buffs have already turned pro when it comes to griping), we offer an historical look at the how Minneapolis shapes up in comparison to other climate-challenged cities that have open-air baseball stadiums.

As everyone knows, this is the last year of Dome ball before the opening of Target Field in 2010. Chilly days in early April make the roofless nature of the new park an easy nit to pick, and many folks were no doubt thankful for climate control during Monday's opener.

But some quick research on the Weather Channel's website, weather.com, tells us that things here probably won't be so bad next year -- or at least they will be comparable to other cities -- even in the iffy month of April.

Here is the average temperature (high and low) for April 7 (today) and the average precipitation for the duration of April:

Minneapolis: 53/33, 2.31 inches; Detroit: 55/36, 2.9 inches; Cleveland: 54/35, 3.37 inches; Chicago: 56/39, 3.65 inches; New York City: 55/39, 4.06 inches; Boston: 53/38, 3.60 inches.

You'll note Minneapolis is the coldest, but not by much. You'll also note it is the driest. Boston and Chicago had weather postponements Monday. Cleveland and Detroit have highs in the 30s and snow expected today.

Translation: We just might be OK.

MICHAEL RAND