Unseasonable Warmth Brings Duluth Outside

High Temps Mean Comfortable Outdoor Fun

DULUTH, Minn.- Despite how the song goes, it’s beginning to look anything but like a White Christmas.

Unseasonably warm weather is gripping the Northland, with temperatures reaching nearly 50  degrees today.

Quite a few spots around Duluth were bustling with folks living it up in the hot winter sun.

If you took a look at the thermometer in your car, you aren’t seeing things.

That’s the temperature reaching almost 50, in the middle of December!

When the snow and ice is away, Duluth will play, in places like Canal Park.

People can be seen scaling the rocks, taking pictures by the calm, blue waters of the lake, or sharing a kiss–enjoying the love which seems to come with warm temps.

For some, it’s been a busy couple of days.

“We went to Gooseberry Falls. It was nice,” said Ashley, Allison, Rebecca and Olivia, down by the lake with their big family.

Olivia loved Gooseberry, “‘Cause the waterfalls were frozen.”

Not much else is frozen here, though.

International falls, Hibbing, Ashland and Hayward all saw record highs tied or broken, in the mid to upper 40s this weekend.

Meanwhile, at Lake Superior Zoo, quite a few animals are out soaking up the sun.

The African Lions roar jubilantly, the Tiger playfully rolls around, and the Llama…..the Llama could really care less.

While some of the animals have better things to do than look at humans, the humans come just to see the animals.

Some, from as far as the Twin Cities.

“Just going to the zoo, killing some time before the Bentleyville Lights come back on,” said Dan McCabe, enjoying the Zoo with his family.

“It’s so gorgeous, oh my gosh,” said his wife, Meghan. “I couldn’t believe how easy it was to just be outside.”

The animals found it easy too, the Lions lounging about on their rock.

The weather a small step closer to their native Savannah temps.

With weather this nice, how could we ever go back to the chilly snow?

“Well, it’s fun,” Meghan said. “I mean we are waiting to build another snowman, so that’ll be pretty good.”

But for some, it’s no question, a white Christmas is the best Christmas.

When asked if they miss the snow, Ashley, Allison and Rebecca waste no time with their response: “No! Nonono.”

But not Olivia.

“Yeah! ‘Cause you get to make snowmans and forts in the snow, and this year I’m afraid we’re not gonna have any snow.”

Well if you want a taste of the snowy weather, Olivia, head to Spirit Mountain.

The snow never left there.

Skiers and snowboarders soar over your head, flipping and striking poses, beneath the blue and pink cotton candy skies of the Northland.