Play Ball! Warmer Twins’ opener; mild week ahead

People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring. - Rogers Hornsby

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Target Field. Paul Huttner/MPR News

Hot dogs! Popcorn! Cold Beer?

The words ring out as much a celebration of spring as baseball. Today wide-eyed fans pour into Target Field. Sun drenched bleachers. Hope springs eternal. Here's the weather fans get as they file into Target Field today.

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We'll take it.

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Weatherspark

The breeze blows out toward the outfield today. The sun drenched bleachers feel warm. You may want a light jacket in the shady first base seats.

If you're interested, check out the piece I wrote in 2010 about the microclimates at Target Field. Here's another piece from the New York Times on why I forecast the design of Target Field would make it a pitcher's park.

Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too. -- Yogi Berra

More fire danger

Outside the friendly confines, winds and low humidity combine once again to push fire danger into the high zone west and north of the metro.

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Last night's rain brought a good soaking from near the Twin Cities east. 1 inch-plus fell in the north metro bull's-eye. Here are some more totals.

  • Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, .65 inch

  • Eden Prairie, .6 inch

  • St. Paul, .45 inch

  • Chanhassen, .39 inch

  • St. Cloud, .66 inch

  • Duluth, .38 inch

The rainfall was beneficial. The lighting show spectacular.

Yes, I meant it when I said "winter as we know it" was over a few weeks back. Other than a few expected snow spurts, that has panned out. This April is running way warmer than last year.

  • +8 degrees temps this April vs. April 2014

  • 0.3 inch snowfall this April

  • 7 inches snowfall in April 2014

Best week of spring so far

This week looks like the best of spring so far.

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Enjoy!