Hearty Minnesotans Enjoying Frigid Start To 2013

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- If there is one group of people who can handle the cold, it would be Minnesotans.

After cross-country skiing in 5 degree weather on New Year's Day, Jay Dodig said, "Now I go get the skates on the kids and go out and play some pond hockey for three hours."

On Tuesday there were skaters, hockey players, runners and dog walkers all over Lake of the Isles.

Greg Dummer brought out his two young daughters.

"We need layers," he said. "They have long underwear on, snowpants, jackets and everything."

At Theodore Wirth Park, Eric Crouch came out to kicksled with his son, Wyatt.

"We love winter and we want to get out and enjoy it," he said.

Another measure of the cold: difficulty in starting cars.

According to Minnesota-Iowa AAA, calls for starting cars exceeded the daily average by 55 percent.

Some prefer the colder temperatures. Steve Kozachok says it's better to play hockey in 5 degrees.

"When the ice is cold, it's quicker," he said. "If it's 30, it stinks. It's slow, and the puck stops on it more. This is fantastic."

In Minneapolis, you can find which rinks are open by heading to their website.

In St. Paul, open ice rinks can be found at their website.