MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – It’s officially the first day of spring, but it will be hard to sell that to residents of the Twin Cities on Wednesday.

The cold temperatures and wind are making it feel more like early January than mid-March. The conditions are leaving most of us longing for the days of shorts and T-shirts. About the only place where it might feel more like spring is at the Como Zoo Conservatory.

The Tropical Encounters exhibit at the Como Zoo can get people inside to forget about winter, even if it’s just for a few minutes. About the only other sign of spring you might find in the Twin Cities is at department stores, where several retailers have their spring fashion out as people get ready to head back out in the sun.

The exhibit at the Como Zoo takes you into the tropics, and another area of the zoo will feature up to 10,000 tulips this weekend with a spring flower show.